Invitation
by ThomE.Gemcity-06
Summary: This is the expansion of THE VIEW. Tony meets the woman that he's sure to spend the rest of his life with; this is their story. Includes: graphice slash, language, etc.
1. Chapter 1

**a/n: This is the deeper elaboration of "THE VIEW"; I will delve deep in how Tony and Claire met, how they formed a relationship and married. There will also be a history between Claire and Kate, and a "Supernatural" tie-in. Sorry for the long wait people! Contains: Graphic slash and language, etc.**

**Story Summary: **_Tony meets the girl that he's sure to spend the rest of his life with; this is their story._

**Chapter Summary:** Tony and Claire meet.

**Invitation: **_**Hello There**_

"Thanks for doing this," Special Agent Timothy 'Tim' McGee said, his voice strained. In his arms were three boxes of files, down from the evidence locker in the garage.

"It's not a problem, Tim." Special Agent Claire Novak said, caring two boxes herself. "I'm just sorry that I couldn't find a cart." she told him.

"I'm just glad that we didn't have to take the stairs," Tim said, leaning back against the elevator wall.

Claire smiled at him. "There's nothing wrong with a little work out."

Tim looked at her. "Do you want to get off on this floor?"

"Are you insane?" Claire demanded.

"I told you."

"Why do you need these two cases anyway?" Claire questioned as the elevator stopped and the doors slipped in, and another Agent stepped in, pressing a floor button for the doors to slid back closed. "I didn't think that the O'Brian and Ranjer cases were connected. They're almost a year apart,"

"Yeah, we didn't know that either." Tim told her as the other Agent got off. "With the timing on both murders, and the fact there was no connection between the two that we could find, but then we had another murder."

"Okay. So what's the connection?"

"A tattoo."

"A tattoo? I collected evidence on both of these cases, and I don't remember a tattoo." she told him.

"You collected evidence from the crime scene," Tim corrected her, "You didn't process the body."

"Right." Claire guessed, as the elevator finally got to the bullpen, "So, what? A cult, then?"

Tim gave a haphazard shrug as he stepped from the elevator, Claire fallowing after him. "Your guess his good as mine."

"So, where do you want these?" Claire asked.

"Just here," Tim told her, setting his boxes down between his desk and his neighbours. "I'm gonna have to sort through it all so I can find the evidence for Abby to go through."

Claire nodded and set her two boxes beside Tim's.

"Claire?" Claire turned to find Special Agent Caitlin 'Kate' Todd setting her bag by her desk. "I knew it was you!"

"Hey, Kate!" Claire grinned at the female Agent.

"Where's Tony?" Tim slipped in before they could get full-blown reminiscing.

"Behind me," Kate said. "He was too slow to catch the doors before they closed."

"Tony better watch out if Gibbs hears that." Tim noted.

Tim and Kate both paused, holding their breath. Usually when a comment like that was voiced, Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs would appear of nowhere saying, "Hear what, McGee?". But as the seconds ticked by, and the Boss didn't round on them, they let it out, grinning at each other.

"What was that?" Claire questioned.

"Nothing," they answered.

Claire just looked between the two of them, a little worried.

Tim sat in his chair behind his desk and took the lid off the first box, taking out a stack of files from O'Brian's case. Kate came around and leaned a hip on the edge of her desk, her arms crossed lightly over her chest, the smile in place.

"You look good." Kate said.

"Thanks." Claire smiled as she leaned her butt back against the edge of Senior Special Agent Anthony 'Tony' DiNozzo's desk, her hands flat on the edge. "It's a look that only garage dinginess can produce!" she said in a advertisement voice.

Kate laughed.

"I can say the same for you."

"It's the walls, and the skylight." Kate said seriously. "They mess with your head." she stage-whispered with a façade of paranoia.

Claire grinned at her, "I like orange,"

Kate's smiled stretched. "Got a boyfriend yet, Novak?" her eyes gleamed.

"Heh. I could say the same, Todd." Claire's eyes gleamed back.

Tim shook his head, trying to ignore the girl talk as he went through the files.

There was a beat of silence as they stared at each other, and then chuckled together.

"So, what have you been up to?" Kate said, sitting back. "I haven't seen you in forever."

"Well, that's because you never come down to evidence lock-up," Claire said. "I only ever see Tim."

Tim looked up at his name.

Claire looked at him. "And you're great company, but a fatal flaw is that you're not a girl."

"Thanks," Tim told her before he looked back down at the file, feeling a little embarrassed. But glad that he wasn't called a girl and that Tony wasn't there to hear it.

Kate looked a little guilty.

"_That was so uncalled for!" _came the echo of Tony's voice from the elevator as the muted ding sounded. "Todd-!" Tony stopped short as he rounded the corner, ready for some payback, when he saw what was sitting on the edge of his desk… She was tall, at least 5'8'', and slim. She had long, natural blood hair that went past her shoulders, the golden locks hanging loose around her face. Her brows were perfectly shaped, her eyes big and the colour of a marina, her nose was lightly buttoned and her chin rounded, her lips were puffed and pink, she had just the right amount make-up. Unlike Kate, she was wearing an orange pair of Converse All Star's, a pair of tight jeans, and a plain coloured polo shirt. It was plain-wear, nothing close to what Abby wore, but it seemed to suit her. Whoever she was. He had never seen her before, he would have remembered, but he knew that she was an Agent; she had a shield clipped onto the pocket of her jeans. "Well, hello there." a sultry smile started to spread across his across his lips.

Kate scoffed, "Jeez, Tony!"

Tim shook his head as Tony ignored her, but he saw that Claire was smiling back at Tony. Claire couldn't help it, she knew a handsome man when saw one. And he was it. At least 6'2'', he was muscular, but not overly so, like Arnold Swatzernager. She was very thankful for that, guys like that made her gag. He had brown hair, short, with just the right amount of gel that made it look natural, his eyes were a shaded blue with darker flecks, his nose wasn't too big and fit with his face with a tiny scar on the outer side of his nostril, his brows weren't bushy and his chin was clean, his jaw curved nicely, his lips perfectly kissable. The suit that he wore was tailored and expensive, a tie, and black shiny shoes to go with it.

"Ah-hem!" Tim cleared his throat.

"What, McGee?" Tony said, but didn't look at him and continued to look at Claire.

"This is Special Agent Claire Novak, she's the Supervisory Special Agent down in Field Forensics." Tim introduced.

"Claire, Senior _very_ Special Agent Tony DiNozzo," Tony held out his hand and Claire stood from his desk, taking his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Claire smiled at him, holding onto his hand a moment longer than was really necessary. "You guys have to come visit me sometime," she told Tim and Kate. Her eyes trailed down Tony once more before she went passed him and to the elevator. Tony wasn't shy about watching her leave, looking over his shoulder. She arrived just the doors dinged opened, and she stepped in just as Gibbs was coming out, coffee in hand.

"Afternoon, Agent Gibbs." she flashed the older man a smile as she spun on her heal to face him and pressed the garage button.

He looked at her for a moment. "Novak," he finally said, with a jerk of his head as the door slid closed. He turned and walked into the bullpen. Tim was at his desk with a pile of folders, Kate had the same. But Tony was standing their like an idiot. Gibbs smacked him on the back of the head, "Get your head out of your ass, DiNozzo. And get to work,"

"On it, Boss!" Tony gave him a sloppy salute, and grabbed a few folders from the box.

"I wanted answers yesterday!" he told them. They should of had answers yesterday, so far they had three cases, and they just found a connection this morning, and even that connection gave them no proper leads.

_tbc!_


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n:**

**Chapter Summary: **Claire get's called to a scene with the team for evidence collection; Kate makes a comment on something that gets Tony thinking.

**Invitation: **_**Thoughts Please**_

"McGee! Kate! Get the truck," Gibbs instructed, throwing Tim the keys, thankful that he didn't fumble as he caught them. "DiNozzo, with me."

They piled into the elevator, and Tim quickly pushed _G_ before he was both yelled at for doodling-around, and smacked. The doors slid closed and not too soon they were in the garage. Tim and Kate went for the truck, and Tony went for the car, but turned back when he realized that Gibbs wasn't at the Driver's side.

"Gibbs?" he questioned.

Gibbs didn't look over his shoulder as he kept walking to the other side of the garage. "Get in the car, DiNozzo." he ordered.

Tony stood there for a second in confusion, but decided against staying that way any longer than that, he really didn't feel like getting a smack this early in the morning. And climbed into the passenger's seat.

Gibbs stopped at the mesh gate of the evidence locker where the main evidence processing of the much bigger items occured "Novak! Hurry it up," he called.

"Over here, Gibbs." Claire's voice came from behind him, she was in a windbreaker with _NCIS __Forensics_written on the back.

He didn't jump, but that had never happened before, someone not actually being where he knew they should be. "Get in the car," he told her, harder than was necessary, as he turned back around to do the same.

"Already here." she opened the door behind Tony and set her kit in before she climbed in after it, slamming the door shut.

"Well, look who it is." Tony twisted in his seat, a curve in to his lips as Gibbs got into the driver's seat and put the keys into the ignition.

Claire smiled at him. "Hey, Tony."

"Hey, yourself." Tony grinned at her.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs growled, he smacked Tony as he peeled rubber from the garage, the truck already ahead of him.

"Ow!" Tony pouted, rubbing the back his head as he twisted back around in his seat, slipping his belt into place. "So, why is Novak coming?"

"We got a tip that this is connected with the O'Brian, Ranjer, and Quade cases." Gibbs said, passing the truck. "Novak was the one that collected the evidence for O'Brian and Ranjer."

"Glade to have you aboared, Claire." Tony said.

"Thanks, Tony."

The ride was quiet and quick, and Claire figured that why waste money to go to an amusement park when she could just get a ride with Gibbs. When Gibbs parked and the three occupants were climbing out, the truck finally pulled it. Though it had left first, with Gibbs' driving, he could bypass a rocket.

"I.D., McGee." Gibbs order his youngest Agent.

"On it, Boss." Tim said. He crouched down next to the dead man and with gloved fingers, carefully took his finger and pressed it on the pad. It scanned his finger and data started to fill down the screen. "Petty Officer Daniel Jordon. Single no children, no family. He's assigned to the Naval base,"

"Ducky?" Gibbs questioned.

"Of course, Jethro." Ducky knelt down beside Jordon and peeled back the bloody shirt from his chest to reveal a tattoo that was placed just left of the center of his chest. "Looks like you were right,"

"Not me, Ducky." Gibbs said, as a few snaps were shot. "The anonymous tipper."

"So that's what all the fuss is about?" Claire asked, looking at the tattoo. It looked like a dark magic thing or something, a circle of what looked like flames and inside was a five-point star. "I did suggest cult,"

The team looked at her.

"What?"

"She did in the elevator," Tim said quietly, and now that he was looking at it, it looked the fit. "It's the only thing that connects these four marines." he answered.

"So what was he doing out here?" Tony asked, trying to divert Gibbs' attention from Claire. "He's not in a uniform, so he wasn't on duty, and how did they even know that he was with the Navy?"

"Maybe the tipper is the killer," Kate suggested.

"Don't make assumptions." Gibbs growled. "Kate, pictures. DiNozzo, sketch. McGee, bag and tag and when we get back I want you to trace that call."

_"Right,"_ the three Agents went to the van and grabbed their kits.

"Have fun," Tony told Claire as he passed her, Kate watched him with raised brows.

"Novak..." Gibbs turned to the blonde, "Supervise, look and see if this crime scene had anything similar with O'Brian's and Ranjer's."

"Sure, Gibbs. But I thought that you said there was nothing connecting them but the ink?" Claire told him.

"Do it anyway," Gibbs told her before turning away.

"Wow," Claire commented.

"Don't worry about him, dear. " Ducky told her. "He just likes to be thorough."

Claire just nodded and started to where the others were processing the scene, she had never really worked with Gibbs until now, but she knew his team. Or at least she knew Tim and Kate rather well, they were in evidence all the time, and Abby because she was the lab tech and the one that processed all of the evidence that Claire team happened to collect. Gibbs had a reputation, the whole NCIS Agency knew and Claire was sure that half of the things said were _not _rumours.

"I can't believe you," Kate said as she snapped shot.

Tony looked up from his sketch pad in confusion. "What are you blaming on me this time?"

Kate put down the camera. "You know exactly what I'm taking about, trying to get into Claire's pants."

"What! I haven't even made a move on her," Tony protested.

"Exactly," she said and walked away.

Tony was left standing there. "What does that even mean, Todd? Kate!" he yelled after her and she just waved at him. What did that mean? Usually, he would have been in her pants by how. It wasn't the fact that she wasn't attractive, she was very much so and her personality didn't suck either and she wasn't girly. He'd even hit on Kate in the beginning, so why not Claire?

"Hey, Tony."

"Jeez!" he jerked his head to find Claire at his shoulder. "You tryin' to kill me?"

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Tony grinned.

Claire smiled back. "You're pretty good," she told him, looking over his shoulder, close.

"Thanks,"

"But," she said.

"But?" Tony raised a brow.

"But, see this line here?" Claire asked, reaching around and showing him said line on the pad that he was sketching the scene on. "It's not straight."

Tony snorted. "That's nice. You're not looking at it straight on," he told her.

Claire smirked at him.

"So, what have _you _found, then?" Tony asked.

"Nothing," Claire sighed. "The only evidence in this whole place is Jordon and all he had on him is his own blood."

"Just like the others,"

"Yep," Claire nodded.

"A wasted trip?" Tony asked her.

Claire glanced down. "Not completely," she told him, her clean lips curved as she looked back up at him.

Tony's lips turned up into the flirtatious mirror of hers, "You got that-"

"Am I interrupting?" Gibbs voice growled behind them, knowing full well that he was.

They jerked apart.

"Not a bit, Boss." Tony told him without fuss.

He got a help slap for his snark, and took it with apathy.

"If you're finished, get in the truck, take Kate with you. McGee's with me," Gibbs ordered.

With a flash of his patent smirk at Claire, Tony scurried off.

Gibbs' blue gaze bore down on Claire, who looked at him.

"There isn't anything here, Agent Gibbs." she told him.

He looked at her for a long moment.

"Tim is right," Claire said, "The tattoo is the only connection, it had to bee some sort of group. They were all young men, with no family, and currently aren't serving over-seas."

"The tipper is our best lead, as soon as McGee tracts him." Gibbs said, "Now get in the car before I leave you behind."

And Claire was off to the car, knowing that Gibbs actually would leave her, especially in the mood that coming up with dead ends was ensuing.

"So," Tony said, before he had even pulled the truck onto the main. "You going to just leave me hanging?"

Kate looked at him. "Oh, you do that all by yourself, Tony." she told him.

"Ha. Very funny." he mocked. "Seriously, Kate."

"Figure it out yourself, DiNozzo." she said, "It'LL do ya good."

Tony glowered at her and Kate smirked, looking out the window and ignoring him completely.

"This is going to come back and bitE you in the ass," he scowled.

"Oh, Tony." she just shook her head. "Only in your disturbing dreams."

"Good luck with finding the source of that number, Tim." Claire said, giving the man a wave and smile as he stepped from the elevator. "And tell Abby I said hi?"

"Thanks, and I will." Tim waved back as the doors slid shut and went into Abby's lab, the metal music super loud tonight.

Claire sighed and leaned back against the elevator wall as it took her down passed autopsy and down to the garage and evidence locker. She stepped out. The garaged held the cage, that was where the bigger evidence was held, say from the cars that were processed down in the garage, there was another section, this one more security tight and metal bars, passes and codes, eye I.D. and someone behind the counter on the other side of that. She made it through easily enough, she was the Supervisory Agent down here in evidence after all, something pretty big for a woman her age, but she was that good. She had an office down here, if it could even be called that, it seemed more like a closet with all of the files that were packed into it. But it was hers, and she sat back in her chair, thinking.

She was sure that that tattoo was familiar, like she had seen it a while ago, sometime. But the feeling was so faint that she knew it must be nothing. Anyway, something else was on her mind. Something that was way better to think about, and to look at in general, that something was Tony DiNozzo, someone that she could think about all day long and never get tired.

She knew the type of guy that Tony was, a general flirt, only knew about one night stands, slept with any woman that was breathing. Afraid of commitment, she knew the instant she had met him two months back. But she was just attracted to that type of guy, and anyway she was the same, commitment was a problem. Ever since her childhood. But it wasn't as if anything was going to happen, they worked together, sorta, actually... today had been the first time.

"Hm." Claire mumbled thoughtfully. "Oh, well." she shrugged her shoulders in indifference.

_tbc!_


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n:**

**Chapter Summary: **Tony makes a realization that stuns him, with some unbeknownst help from Kate.

**Invitation: **_**Exactly**_

The Jordon case went cold, just like the O'Brian, the Ranjer and the Quade cases. Tim had no luck tracing the anonymous tip that had come in, much to Gibbs' growing irritation. Abby had been all over those identical tattoos; up, down, sideways. Comparing the ink that was used, the date that it was applied; no useful results. Even with her vast knowledge in this area, she had never seen this particular design before. Gibbs was no party to be around, not that he was ever one to begin with.

They got a new case yesterday, Petty Officer Jessica Varn. She was found shot and murdered in an alley next to a stripe club. It sucked that she was killed, but at least it was something to distract Gibbs for a while.

Tony let out an explosive breath, his lips moving with it. "What to do, what to do." he wondered, his pen currently flipping between his fingers. He leaned back in his chair, his feet up on the corner of his desk. There was one thing in particular, or a certain person that he could think about, and he found himself doing just that.

A week before, Kate, ever so annoying had made an outlandish statement, one that sent him into a long period of glowers and scowls.

_"I can't believe you," _

_"What are you blaming on me this time?"_

_"You know exactly what I'm taking about, trying to get into Claire's pants."_

_"What! I haven't even made a move on her," _

_"Exactly," _

_Exactly what_?! Tony wanted to yell... at her nonetheless, because what in the hell did that mean? Shouldn't Kate be happy that he wasn't hitting on her friend, the ungrateful woman. She acted one way and then said another, contradicting each other so completely that it left Tony reeling. No matter how many women he had slept with, it never really prepared him for what women were really like. And he didn't know that so he couldn't compare. She'd told him to figure it out himself, but figure what out, exactly?

Kate knew, apparently, otherwise she wouldn't have said anything. And he knew that she took joy as he floundered. Novak... Claire Novak. He hadn't known her until two months and two weeks ago, he didn't know how he had never met her before. It wasn't like she was new, she was friends with Tim and Kate, Abby, she knew Ducky and Gibbs was clearly aware of her. So what the hell was up with that? It might be the fact that the Dust Bunnies- ahem, Evidence Techs- were all guys, except for Claire. No way could she be mistaken for a guy, not in a million years.

Ah, that body was smoking'! He could look at her all day, and all through the night, he could think about her too and never get sick of it. He'd never thought about another woman like that before. Hm, that was interesting. He tried to have relationships with women, but with his job and his personality, he'd never felt the fit. They never interested him longer than a night, hence, one night stands. It sounded bad, but it was the truth. So what was it about Claire, she was beautiful, so why hadn't he tried to take her out?

_God, you are such an idiot, DiNozzo._

He could hear Kate in his head, he didn't like it one bit.

But, yeah, he was an idiot, that wasn't anything new. So, why hadn't he asked Claire out, he knew that she liked him, she had to, what will all those smiles and looks and the closed distance. So maybe he didn't asked her out because he didn't want her to be like all those other chicks.

_Got it in a million._

So, then, that meant that he actually... for real... for the first time...

Tony sat up fast with the realization. "_Whoa_!" he breathed. And it was luck, too, that he had reached that conclusion, the one that he realized that he actually liked Claire, could see himself with her, because he narrowly missed being clipped in the ear by Gibbs.

"Oh, nice dodge!" Kate cheered from behind her desk at a safe distance.

"What do you think you're doing, DiNozzo?" Gibbs' demand, like always, was accompanied by a icy glare.

"I think I'm sitting here, but I can't be too sure. Can you confirm" Tony accidentally snarked. "OW!" Gibbs' hand came back for another round.

"Oooh," Kate winced. "Missed that one."

Gibbs' gaze shot to her and she zipped her lips and sat in her chair. Tony sent her a look too and she shrugged her shoulders in return.

"I interviewed Varn's friends and family," Tony droned, "She had just got back from overseas. She was an Intelligence Currier, she took information from one ranking officer to another, or wherever it needed to go. She could have been targeted just on that alone; the killer thought that she had information that she really didn't or she wouldn't tell the routes of the other curriers and it got her killed." he took a breath, "A memorable quote of the day: 'she's changed', to put it shortly. She was more secretive, even seemed skittish upon her arrival back home."

"We should probably look into what information she was responsible for handling," Kate suggested.

"Do it." Gibbs said, not taking his eyes off of Tony.

"Right," Kate nodded and picked up her phone.

"Where's McGee?" Tony asked, now starting to feel the usual effects of Gibbs' stare.

"In the lab with Abs." Kate said.

Tony nodded. Okay, so this was getting a little uncomfortable now. "How'd it go with her superiors?"

"Her overseas CO is still overseas and we can't contact him yet" Kate filled in.

"That's gonna be your job, DiNozzo. Unless that's too complicated for you," Gibbs said before he bulldozed he way out of the bullpen.

"Not at all, boss." Tony said to empty air.

Kate chuckled, "Nice going, Tony."

He glared at her. "Aren't you supposed to be on the phone?"

"I'm on hold," she glared back.

Tony smirked.

"I was a Secret Service Agent, higher clearance than Gibbs. Now, I've been bumped down to hold."

"Did you know, that being in the Secret Service means that you protect the President-"

"Duh,"

"It _doesn't _mean," Tony continued, "That you're privy to government secrets."

"_Meh_," Kate made a face at him.

"Yeah, I can see all the potential boyfriends trying to swim into your net now."

"Shut up, Tony."

Tony picked up the phone and dialled the number in the file. it rang before someone on the other end picked up. "Yes. Hello, this is Special Agent Tony DiNozzo with NCIS. Could you connect me with Gunnery Sergeant Sam Dawn, please? Thanks," he covered the mouth piece with his hand and looked at Kate across from him. "Look who's not on hold."

"Can it, DiNozzo. Seriously,"

Tony laughed. "Got it in one, _not_ a _million_, Kate."

Kate just shook her head in confusion. "Whatever you say," her expression clearly saying that that last slap to head must've dislodge something very important.

_tbc!_


	4. Chapter 4

**a/n: A lapse in time has passed; the next day.**

**Chapter Summary: **Tony expresses his feelings, but gets some bad news that force him to shut them down.

**Invitation: **_**Welcome to the Team**_

Tony whistled tunelessly all the way through the elevator ride up to the bullpen, much to Kate's annoyance. The elevator opened with a muted ding and she stepped out in relief- or dove out.

"Seriously, Tony." she said, stalking to her desk. "Just for once, shut up."

"Whoa!" Tony gave a whistle as he set his bag down behind his desk. "Did someone keep you up last night, Kate." his brows danced.

Kate spun around to him, her mouth open is disgust.

"Tony!" it was actually Tim who protested.

"What, Probie?" Tony looked at him.

"That is very rude,"

"Thank you, McGee." Kate said. "That was very nice, unlike _some people_." she glared at Tony.

"Come on!" Tony looked between the two of them. "You guys are _so _boring,"

"We're not children," Kate corrected.

"No, you're just a Nun and a Alter Boy, with a stick up your asses."

Now they both looked at him with open mouths.

"Jeez!" he ran fingers through his hair, "Sorry," he sighed. "Where's Gibbs?"

"He up stairs in the conference room," Tim told him.

"Why's he up there?"

"He's with Claire-"

Tony didn't wait for Tim to finish, usually it wasn't something good if Gibbs was alone with another Agent, especially one that they didn't work with, and it was in a closed off room. He took the stairs two at time, Tim and Kate watched him go with raised brows and a shared look.

Tony was about to knock, but the door swung open, and there stood Gibbs.

"Boss..." Tony started.

Gibbs just looked at him before he went passed and back down the stairs. Tony watched him for a second before he peeked into the conference room. It was quiet and he spotted Claire down at the end of the table, looking at the table top.

"Claire?" he asked quietly, as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, "Are you alright?"

Claire looked up, a dazed look in her aqua coloured eyes. "Tony?"

"Yeah," he nodded as he came around to her. Slow. "You okay?" he asked again.

"I, uh, I don't know." she told him.

"Okay," Tony nodded. "So let's talk it through." he pulled out the chair adjacent to her and sat down.

"O-okay," she nodded.

"So, what did Gibbs do?" Tony encouraged.

"Um," Claire licked her lips and took a breath. "Gibbs... he-he pulled me from Forensics and transferred me."

"What!" Tony demanded. He couldn't believe this, he was pissed. "He can't do that. He's not your boss, you're your boss." he said in a harsh breath.

"Tony," Claire took his hand in hers.

He looked at her, his breath coming down. Her hand was warm and he liked the feel of his on his, he swallowed. His heart was actually racing, wow, he _did_ like her. Damn Kate. He leaned in and kissed her. What? He did. He leaned in and he kissed her. Her lips were soft, just like he imagined. She didn't push him back, so he was right that she liked him too. He don't know why he did it, she was getting transferred and he didn't know when he would see her again. He sat back sated.

"_Yeowza_," he breathed.

Claire was stunned. Tony was a great of a kisser as she knew he would be, you couldn't be the way that he was and not be. She would just love it to happen again.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"Sorry," he said, "It just sorta happened."

"I don't mind," she said.

Tony grinned. "Me either,"

"I wouldn't even mind if we did it again,"

His grin widened as he leaned forward to kiss her again, but he remembered something. "Wait. Where did you get transferred to?"

"Oh," Claire looked surprised for a second. "I got transferred to your team."

"What?" Tony demanded. This was different than before, this changed everything. "Why?"

Claire shrugged her shoulders. "How am I supposed to know? He's your boss,"

"And now he's yours..." Tony trailed off in defeat.

"So? You sound disappointed," she said in confusion. "This way we can be together during cases."

Tony shook his head, his heart was sunken. "We can't date,"

"What?" now Claire was the one that was hurt. She thought that he liked her, but apparently not enough to date. But what else could she have expected? This was the kind of man she was attracted to.

"It's one of Gibbs' rules," Tony explained, "Never date a team mate. It gets too complicated in the field."

"Oh," Claire felt better that she knew that Tony wasn't like all those other guys, but even then they couldn't date.

"Oh," Tony agreed. He looked down at their entwined fingers, they fit together, they belonged. But now, because of Gibbs, they would be torn apart. He stood from the chair, his fingers slipping from hers.

"So, what does this mean?" she asked, looking up at him.

"It means, we're just friends." he told her as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. He left after that, not able to bear being so near and not able to touch. Being on the team was now going to be more torture than fun.

"Tony," she called, "Wait!" she fallowed him, but he was already down the stairs at the elevator. "Tony!" she was down the stairs, but by the time that Claire had gotten to the bullpen, he was already in the elevator.

"Claire?" Tim asked in worry.

"Is everything okay?" Kate said, coming to her friend, "Tony?"

Claire turned to the two Agents, her arms crossed over her chest. "Looks like we're team mates," she told them, trying to play happy, but by their looks she knew that it didn't work out to well.

"That's cool," Tim said in confusion. "Isn't it?"

"Yeah," Claire nodded. "It is, Tim."

_tbc!_


	5. Chapter 5

**a/n:**

**Chapter Summary: **Tony goes to get some comfort.

**Invitation: **_**Blow-out**_

The elevator ride to Abby's lab was one spent in a long depression, one that Tony found completely justified. He couldn't believe that in the same moment he had found what he was sure was love and then had his heart broken. Well, it was broken but not by Claire. Maybe that would have been better. That, instead of having her around and not being able to do anything.

His head was hung as he stepped from the elevator and walked into blaring, screeching, heavy metal music.

"Tony!" Abby said happily when she notice him there, and skipped to him. "You're not going to believe- Tony?" she went and shut off the music. "Tony, are you okay?"

Tony silently shook his head.

Abby took his arm and lead him to her desk and pushed him down in the chair. "Tony?" she repeated. "What's wrong?" He sighed long and hard, before he finally looked up at her. Just by looking into his eyes, the Goth knew that something really bad must've happened. She got down on her knees and looked up at him. "Whatever it is, I'm sure that we can fix it."

"Do you know Claire?" his voice broke on her name and he shook his head. "Agent Novak from down in evidence?"

"Yup," Abby nodded rapidly, smiling wide. "I've known her for years, she great! Did you know that her and Kate were childhood friends? They went to college together,"

"They did?" Tony asked, for a moment taken from his issues at the fantasy that if Kate was in the wet T-shirt contest during spring break, then Claire had to of had been as well. He found a smirk curving his lips, _oh yeah._ But it soon disappeared and he shook his head. "No,"

"So, what about Claire?" Abby asked, trying to steer them back onto the road.

"We met almost three months ago," Tony said. "How come I've never met her before? how is that even possible."

"She's been here before Kate, but you never go see the Forensic guys." Abby said.

"Right. I like her, Abby." Tony finally told his friend.

"Aah, Tony." Abby said. "That's cool! You guys... you two would be awesome together. You're perfect, Tony, you have to ask her out, you have to!"

"We-we kissed, actually." Tony said.

"Oh my God!" Abby squealed and shot to her feet, grabbing Tony's hands and started to jump up and down, "Tony!" She stopped and looked down at him. "Why are you jumping with me?" she asked him, pouting.

"She got transferred," Tony looked up at her, and she could see the broken heart in his eyes.

"So what." she said grumply. "Haven't you ever heard of long-distance relationships? God, Tony, you're such an idiot."

"You didn't let me finish," Tony told her.

"So, tell me." she demanded.

A look of betrayal crossed his face, "Gibbs was the one that got her transferred,"

"What!"

His expression was pained and his voice cracked as he continued, "To the team,"

"No!" Abby shook her head. "If he knew he wouldn't have done it."

"For the past two months, every time the two of us had ended up alone, he would show up and all but shove us apart." Tony told her. "He knew, Abs." he said, "He knew."

Abby stomped to her foot. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know, Abs. But now because of that _stupid rule_," he spat. "I can have nothing more than a friendship with Claire."

"You really like her?" Abby asked him, "That much?"

Tony stood and held her hands, squeezing them as he stared into her green eyes. Really stared, trying to portray all of his inner-feelings through his eyes. Something that he had never done before, or thought that he would do. It was better to just shove them down and never let them surface. But he liked Claire, _really_ like her like no other woman, he wanted Abby to see it, to understand what this meant to him.

"Oh, Tony." she swallowed. She had never seen him like this before, in love; it was what Tim was like before the two of them broke up because of the same rule. "Screw Gibbs' rule!" she blurted.

"What?" he said in surprise.

Abby nodded. "Screw that rule, seriously, Tony."

"Abby... I've never heard you talk like this before."

"Look, Timmy and I, most of the reason why we broke up was because we wanted different things, and not because of Gibbs' rule. We weren't meant for each other. But I know you, and I've met Claire. You two, you two are perfect for each other, so screw the rule and go get her, Tony. Or I will do it for you." she pulled him through the automatic doors and to the entrance of her lab. "I'm serious, Tony. You go right now and you tell Gibbs, 'no'." and she shoved him out the door and shut and locked it.

"What?" Tony spun around. "Abby!" he pounded on the door.

"Go, Tony. Go tell Claire that you're in love with her and tell Gibbs no."

It didn't take Tony long to give up; when Abby put her head to something, she was scarily persistent. Sometimes, like during cases, it was a good thing; but now, it wasn't so much. He sighed, could he do it? Stand up to Gibbs? Even the thought sent chills through him; it was a bizarre thought and what seemed like an impossible scenario. He ran a hand down his face as he turned form the door; he would never have even considered this normally, but normally, he wasn't in love.

"Is it true?"

"Jeez-us!" Tony shouted through his teeth, leaning back against the door. "What the hell, Todd?"

"Sorry," Kate apologized. "But is what Abby said true?"

"Kate..."

"Tony."

Tony looked at her, his teeth clenched. "Yes, Kate. I like Claire,"

"By how much?"

"Enough to considered yelling at Gibbs,"

"Wow, that's a lot." Kate concluded, her eyes looking Tony up and down. "So, when did you finally figure it out?"

Tony glared at her. "Yesterday," he ground out.

Kate smirked. "Took you long enough,"

"What do you want, Kate?"

Kate sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "You seemed upset,"

Tony scoffed. "That's a first!"

Kate made a face. "Claire said that Gibbs transferred her to the team, so that means the two of you can't date."

"Thanks for the lovely reminder," Tony sneered.

"Tony!"

He looked away.

"If you're serious... Abby!" she called, "Is he serious?"

"_He's totally serious!"_ Abby yelled through the door.

"I'm right here," Tony complained.

"Now that I know that you're serious about this, DiNozzo. That you actually like Claire enough not to pull your usual bullshit," Kate said. "I agree with Abby. Screw Gibbs' stupid made-up rule,"

_"Is that so?"_

"Shit!" Kate shouted in surprise, jerking back next to Tony just as he shouted, "Dammit!" but that wasn't all because behind the door, Abby blurted, "_Fuck_!"

The door opened and the two Agent looked behind themselves in shook. "What?" Abby demanded. "We're all adults here."

Gibbs cleared his throat and their heads shot back around to him, he raised a brow. "Well? You were saying?" he stared at Kate.

Kate flushed. She opened her mouth, "Uh," she had protected the President for God's sake! But she was frozen now under that cold and calculating gaze.

"Gibbs!" Abby pushed through the gap between Kate and Tony to stand in front of the two. She was fuming, her hands planted on her hips, her mouth scrunched in anger as she glared at Gibbs. "Why'd you transfer Claire?" she demanded to know.

"Novak's a good Agent." Gibbs stated.

Abby puffed out her cheeks, she couldn't deny that; Claire was an excellent Agent. "Everyone here is a good Agent, you've never got them transferred to the team."

"I got McGee, didn't I?"

Abby looked behind her, her expression saying: help me out, jeez!

"Seriously, boss." Tony finally spoke up. "You've been hating for the last two months."

Gibbs glared. "There is a killer out there, on the loose and we haven't had any leads after four murders, DiNozzo. Of course I'm pissed!"

Crap. He was reasoning the hell out of this.

"No other team has five members," Kate finally piped up, "It's a uneven number. That means someone will be left without a partner, it's too risky."

"Not if I keep McGee here."

"What?" Abby shouted. "You can't do that to Tim!" she protested.

"She's right," Tony agreed and they looked at him in surprise. "You can't keep McGee grounded because he's better with all that computer stuff."

"I'm not," Gibbs said.

"What?" they said in confusion.

Gibbs actually rolled his eyes. "Novak apparently misunderstood me; if any other murders happened and the victims had the tattoo, she would be transferred upstairs to work it with us."

"So..." Tony swallowed, not wanted to get his hopes up only to have them shoved down again. "She's-she's still down in evidence then? Like not assigned to the team?"

"No, DiNozzo."

"So your rule doesn't apply," Abby said, a grin ready to split her face.

"No. Now, quit acting like children and get back to work." Gibbs growled.

"Right, boss man!" Abby cheered and grabbed his sleeve, tugging him into the lab. "Have I got some news for you."

"So," Kate said awkwardly, turning to Tony. "That was a big blow-up for nothing."

"Apparently," Tony said. "And you know that there are going to be some painful head slaps in our future."

Kate winced. "Yeah," the two of them got into the elevator. "So, you still in love with Claire?"

"Yes, not that it's any of your business." Tony growled.

"It is to! Claire is one of my best friends, Tony. We've known each other since high school," Kate told him.

Tony rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you said: shit." he said as they got off on their floor.

"Me? What about Abby?" Kate tried to divert.

"Okay, I'll give you that one." Tony relented.

"I wonder what Gibbs'll do about it?"

"What Gibbs will do about what?" Tim asked from behind his desk.

"Well, keeping you at the desk, Probie." Tony said casually as he sat at his desk.

"What?" Tim demanded. "I haven't done anything wrong!" he protested, panicked as he looked between the two Agents.

"Relax, McGee." Kate said. "It was just a joke."

"Not a very good one," he muttered, glaring at Tony who smirked back, his hands behind his head as he leaned back in his chair.

So something little had gotten out of control, but that was fixed now. So Tony would find Claire, and he would tell her, and hopefully, she wouldn't hate him for it.

_tbc!_


	6. Chapter 6

**a/n: Includes: graphic slash between Tony/Claire****.**

**Chapter Summary: **Claire can't believe that she now hated her job, but then again...

**Invitation: **_**Mix-up**_

Claire gritted her teeth throughout the day, forced her expression not to crumple. She worked down in evidence for the remainder of the day, for the last time. God, this sucked. She wasn't really an active Feld Agent, not like Gibbs' MCRAT team; so she didn't know why he would want her. Plus, she realised that it would make the team uneven, even if it would have been nice to see Kate more often and Tim wasn't bad either, and she could think of nothing wrong with being around Tony. Other than the fact that apparently Gibbs had stupid rules and one being that co-workers can't date. She saw reason in this, of course, you would develop a deeper set of feelings for that other person and thus their lives would become more important than the other team mates lives. But she was a woman and she was emotional, right? So it ought to be true. She'd been friends with Kate since high school, every time there was a case, she got time with Abby, she knew Tim since he first transferred here from Norfolk a year before. She loved them each in different ways, but their priority to her wouldn't change if she and Tony got to actually date.

This fact actually surprised Claire, she had found it hard to trust people enough to fall in love with them when her father left when she was twelve; it was like the ultimate betrayal. And of course, like any teenage girl, it was pretty easy for her to fall in love. She met Kate, had a few boyfriends and _thought _that it was love, when it clearly wasn't. So what was it about Tony? She didn't know, she just knew that it was there and it sucked that she couldn't do anything about it.

So closed herself off in her closet-office as it neared the end of her shift. She felt like crying but didn't, she was a grown woman. But it didn't make her feel any better, at least she would still be able to be around him, if anything and friends were better than nothing.

"Claire,"

"I said not to bug me," Claire growled, lifting her head from where it lay in her folded arms. "Tony?" the glare instantly dropped. "What are you-"

"It was a misunderstanding," Tony said, closing the door.

"What?"

"God, Claire. Gibbs said that when there was another case with the tattoo, then you would work on the team and not in the evidence locker." Tony told her, his face hurting from the happiness that he was feeling.

Claire sat up. "What?" she repeated, feeling really slow. And now was not the time.

"You're not on the team,"

Claire thought back to that morning, to what Gibbs told her. "I'm getting you transferred," after that, she may have blanked out. Jeez, she was such an idiot.

"So that means..." she shot from her chair, the same happiness splitting her face that was Tony's.

"That means... this," Tony said, taking her face in between his hands and kissed her.

She didn't fight in, no way in hell would she fight this. He lead her back until her ass hit the edge of her desk, he pushed her down, knocking things off onto the floor to make room. He paused and pulled away, looking at the mess.

"Leave it," Claire gasp, knocking the rest onto the floor as she pulled him back for more kissing. She could clean up the mess later. Her hands were in his short hair as he kissed her neck, her hands trailing down his back. She was glad that he didn't decide to wear a suit this morning. She tugged at the edges and he let up just long enough for her to pull the sweater over his head, at the same time he pulled Claire's T-shirt over her head.

"Here?" he asked.

Claire laughed, "You ask that _after _you take my shirt off?"

"Well," he looked flustered and he was flushed. "I just wanted to make sure."

"Well, you have a green light." she told him, sitting up on her elbows.

"Like, here?" he asked. "At NCIS."

"Well, yeah."

"But... _here?_ Like, with Gibbs, you know he'll find out. He finds everything out," Tony said.

"So, what?"

"How sound proof in your office?"

"Jeez, well no one ever seemed to notice any other time I brought a guy back here." Claire deadpanned.

Tony looked down at her.

"I don't know, Tony, I've never done this before. I've never slept with a guy at work before." she told him.

"I'm flattered," Tony smirked.

Claire shook her head. "Fine. Can you hold off long enough until we get back to your place?"

"Can you?"

They looked at each other for a second before they both scrambled to get their discarded shirts.

"I can clean this up later," Claire said as she shoved him out the door and locked it. "Now hurry up."

"You think I'm taking my time?" he asked as they walked at a quick pace to the parking lot and Tony's car.

"Nice car," Claire noted.

"Thanks," Tony said as he pulled from his spot with a squeal of tires. It seemed like forever before they were through the check point and back at Tony's apartment. He was barely through the door when Claire tugged him back around, kissing him heatedly, pushing him back against the closed door. She yanked her shirt over her head and tossed it aside, already tugging on his sweater. "Hold your horses," he told her.

"I haven't had sex in a long time, Tony. Now, are you going to take it off or do I have to find someone else?" she raised her brow.

Tony ripped it over his head. "Don't have to tell me twice."

"Good." she kissed him, her hands gliding over his bare chest, loving the fell of his skin, the light curls on his chest.

Tony smirked as he pushed her back, his hands on her slim hips as he led her back through his apartment and pushed her onto his bed. He kicked of his boots and she yanked her own off, the socks went next. The belt, god, he hated his belt right now.

"Please tell me you have something," Claire breathed as she jumped from the bed and helped him with the belt. They dropped to his ankles.

"Oh, I have a lot." he told her, a hand in her hair as he looked at her. Her long hair was around her bare shoulder, her perky breasts encased in a black lace bra. Gosh, she was perfect.

"I'll be the judge of that," Claire's fingers were in the band of Tony's boxers and shoved them down. She looked down between them and smirk. "I wouldn't have expected any less." her hand trailed down his chests and she dropped to her knees, coming face to Tony's penis. She grasped his cock and Tony gasped as her lips surrounded his head. She twisted her hand as she bobbed her head, trying to get as much of Tony's cock in her mouth without gagging, she ran her tongue alone the underside of his penis as it hardened before she stood back up. "Well?"

He gave her a little push and she fell back onto his bed. He took her in, splayed across his bed, his sheets, her skin was pale and it made her aqua eyes stand out. He kicked out his feet from his pants and smirked before he jumped onto the bed with excellent judgement, and landed with one of her knees between her legs. She smiled up at him as he leaned over her, his hands supporting his weight on either side of her shoulders. He dipped his head and caught her lips in his, they were soft and slightly swollen from their earlier heated make-out. They were still new to him and he took advantage of that. Her arms wrapped around his neck as their tongues twirled together. He finally broke away, but only to trail kisses down her jaw, her head rolled back to give him access to her neck and she sighed as his tongue glided along her skin.

"You taste good," his voice was husky, his breath cool against her hot, wet skin.

Claire chuckled, her fingers intertwined in his hair. He kissed along her shoulder, her collar bone, the tip of his tongue glided in between her breast. He reached between them and undid the front clasp of her bra and her breasts sprang free with an intake of breath. He took the straps from her shoulders, his finger tracing along her arms.

"Tony," she breathed, her voice smouldering above his head, and if he ever heard it, this was what a bedroom voice was.

Tony didn't even try and keep the smirk from his lips as he cupped her breasts. They were bigger than he thought and they filled his hands, soft and perfect, and there was no way that he would even try to resist twisting her nipples lightly. Claire cried out lightly and Tony looked up at her, "Oh, momma."

She gave him an incredulous look, but couldn't help but bite her lip and Tony couldn't keep his lips away any longer. His lips closed around the nub, it was hardened and the same natural rose colour as her lips, and he now knew that every time he looked at her lips, this would come to mind. He lips tightened around the flesh, he took a hold of it between his teeth and his tongue flicked out.

Claire gasped for air. "Please..." she moaned as he pulled back and looked at her; she was flushed. Tony clicked his tongue, before he latched onto her other nipple, never one to leave anything out. He bit down, his teeth grazing over the sensitive flesh, he worried it between his teeth before that moan turned into a pleasured gasp, "_Oh_!"

Her hands were fisted in his hair and she drew him close to her, he was thrilled with the feel of her soft breasts against his bare chest. He kissed her again, he could never be sick of her lips, as his fingers feathered over the flesh of her hips until they reached the waist of her jeans. His hands reached them and he undid the button and pulled down the zipper. He pulled from her lips despite her protest and shimmied down the bed. He peeled the material from her skin and tossed the jeans away. He kissed the flesh if her hip and bit the edge of her panties as he started to pull them away, but he paused and stared at the spot where hip turned into pelvic on the left side. He held the material back with his fingers.

"Why'd you stop?" Claire asked in confusion, sitting up on her elbows so that she could see Tony.

"You have a tattoo?" he asked.

"Yeah," her brows were furrowed. "I got it when I was sixteen."

"A pair of Angel wings?"

"Not the fluffy kind," they were dark shadows with electricity shooting around them, that was the way that they were in her head since she was a kid. Her father was a very religious man, that was how she was raised until he left when she was twelve, she guess some of it must have stuck.

"No. But what about you, are you an Angel?"

Claire snorted softly. "Why don't you find out?"

Tony smirked as he licked the inked flesh and she held her legs up over his head as he pulled her panties off and they joined the other discarded clothes scattered on the floor. He took her ankles, his hands running up her shins until he got to her knees and spread her legs on bed. He looked at her as he found a comfortable spot between her legs; she had a small strip of hair at the curve of her pelvis, the same golden colour.

"I don't do this for just anyone," he told her, his breath puffing against the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh.

She huffed, "I'm flattered,"

"As you should be," he blew on her folds and she shivered with pleasure.

He traced the edge of her lips and she moaned at the touch. He used his fingers to spread her open, his tongue explored her lips, the soft and delicate inside flesh of her folds, taking them in his mouth and sucking on them, pulling on them until they snapped back like an elastic. He could hear her breath, it was heaving as she gripped the bed's sheets in her fingers. She was getting wet, and that was what Tony loved, the fact that women create their own natural lubricant. His nose was set it the strip of hair as he licked, tasting her inside of the wetness, spreading it around as he took the little nub that was flushed and swollen between his lips.

She tried to arch into him and he let her as his tongue trailed down and spread it around until she was thoroughly wet, as he dipped the tip of his tongue into her entrance. "Oh, oh..." she moaned. Now Tony had to hold her hips down, otherwise she would suffocate him. He rubbed her with two of his fingers until they were wet, and glided them around her entrance. "Don't be a tease!" she gasped out just as he dipped his fingers inside of her, and her gasp turned into a cry as he delved his fingers into her over and again, stretching her open. "Cond'm," Claire was barely able to get out and Tony all but dove across the bed, and her, to get to his nightstand at the head of his bed.

He jerked open the drawer and scrambled for the familiar package. He finally found what he was looking for and tore the wrapper open with his teeth, and rolled the condom in place over his throbbing and eager cock. He kissed her as he turned her on her side and lifted one leg over his shoulder, giving him better access and sight to her. One hand stayed on her thigh as the other one grasped his hardened shaft. He tapped her clit with the head of his cock and they both gasped before he traced it down her folds and into her entrance.

"Claire," he chocked out as he pushed himself into her fully before pulling all the way out again, he entered her once more and stayed there. He moved his hips, back and forth, thrusting into her, revelling in the feel of her hot heat and the twitch of the muscles that encased him. He rubbed her clit as he let her leg fall and and lifted her up onto him as he used the headboard for some support, his other arm wrapped around her back. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he thrust into her again and again, "Hah-h," her fingers leaving red streaks across his back, as she bounced on him, their flesh meeting with a smack.

"Oh, god..." Claire gasped against his lips, fusing them together, their kisses hot and desperate, and it left them gasping for air. "More!" Tony was never one to disappoint. "Harder-" she tore away from his mouth and with a ragged growl he tugged her off of him and flipped her. She let out a surprised grunt, one that turned into something different as he grabbed her hips and jerked her up, entering her again from behind. She moaned as she settle up on her knees, gripping the headboard in a white-knuckled grip as he drove into her.

His grip on her hips was enough leave marks in her pale skin, but he didn't loosen it. "I-I'm close-" he warned her.

"Tony," she pleaded, her voice hoarse as it cut off and he felt her hot, wet walls tighten around his cock, sucking him in. And he couldn't take it anymore. He reach around Claire and in between her legs, lightly scraping his nail over her clit as pushed as deep as he could get, and this time, when her muscles constricted around him, it pulled everything he had out. He pushed her flat against the wall as he came into her, and could feel her wetness as she did the same. "Tone!" she gasped out.

His breath was hot on the back of her sweaty neck, as he tried to catch his breath. He fell onto his side and he took her with him, pulling himself free. They were boneless and it took effort for Tony to slip the condom off. He brushed her locks away and kissed her neck, she rolled around to him and he pulled her close, now kissing her lips.

"Mm," Claire kissed him back, slow and leisurely.

Tony chuckled against her lips. "I could do this all night," he murmured.

"You'll hear no protest from me," she told him.

He furrowed his brows ever so slightly, "Do you have any plans?"

"Um," she thought about it for a second, playing with him. "I don't know, I think there's an offer in the air."

"Really? Me too,"

"Well," Claire pushed him flat on his back and threw a leg over, straddling him. "Maybe we could collaborate a little." she suggested, waggling her brows.

"I'll have my people call your people..." he trailed off as she took his hands and slapped them to her breasts, then bit her bottom lip. It took his breath away.

"I think we can work it out on our own," Claire whispered.

"Ya-yeah," Tony nodded, his voice strained.

_tbc!_


	7. Chapter 7

**a/n: The next morning.**

**Chapter Summary:** It didn't take Kate long to figure it out, in fact, she knew even before they did.

**Invitation: **_**I know what you did last night... **__**Unfortunately**__**.**_

"Ugh," Kate could tell the instant she saw him.

"What?" Tony sighed, "What now?"

"Nothing," she turned back to her computer.

"You can't just not nothing me," Tony said, coming in front of her desk.

"I can and I did, DiNozzo." Kate said in a monotonous tone of voice.

Tony crossed his arms. "I'm just going to glare at you until you tell me," he narrowed his gaze at her, the trick to it was to let his gaze slide slightly out of focus.

"It's not going to work," Kate told him, "You're not Gibbs."

Tony opened his mouth, but someone else beat him to it.

"He's not, but I am." came Gibbs' voice from behind them, double _whacks_ and an echo of _ow!_ filled the air. "I didn't think either of you got paid for standing around."

Tony winced and scurried back to his desk. He glared over at Kate as he sat in his chair, "This isn't over, Todd."

She just stuck her tongue out at him and shook her head.

Kate squinted at Claire as she took sip from her coffee.

"What?" Claire asked around a mouth full of sandwich.

"That is very lady-like, Claire." Kate commented.

Claire rolled her eyes. "You've seen worse, _and_ this before."

"Unfortunately, yes." she said dryly.

"Come on!"

"Fine. I can't believe you slept with Tony."

"What!" she scoffed, "I-Pfft- I didn't..." her pale face turned bright red, it was practically glowing.

"Right!" Kate was the one to scoff this time. "Even Tim is a better liar than that."

Claire started to laugh, very awkwardly.

"Jeez," Kate shook her head. "I know you, Claire, since we were fifteen. I can tell when you've had sex."

"Ooh!" Claire's gaze shot around the break room.

"Oh, relax!" Kate told her.

"Relax?" Claire demanded. "You're all but yelling it out."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I was right."

"You already knew that you were right."

"Yeah. But I wanted you to admit..."

"That I had sex with Tony," Claire finished through gritted teeth.

"Wah," Kate went through a whole body shudder.

Claire smirked at her evilly. "And you're my best friend so I'm going to tell you everything in microscopic detail!"

Kate's expression turned sour. "Don't you dare!"

"You're the one who asked."

"Only out of concern. " Kate made a grouper face.

Claire rolled her eyes again. "I'm not a kid,"

"You're not," Kate agreed. "But Tony has a reputation, and not a good one either."

"If you haven't already noticed, my dating history isn't getting an award any time soon."

"All the more reason,"

"All the more reason not to be worried, Kate." Claire assured her. "What better way to make a relationship work then to have two parties who completely suck at it."

"You know, that only works in movies, right?" Kate told her.

"Every movie has some sliver of truth in it," Claire told her with apparent wisdom.

Kate scoffed and shook her head, "You were made for each other," she deadpanned.

Claire grinned at her. "And the sex is great,"

"Ugh," Kate made a show of gagging, something that wasn't very hard.

They got a break in the Varn case, while going through her personal belongings, Tim discovered a burn phone. Luckily, he was able to trace the number, the only one that was in the memory card. It was to a payphone down town, dialled at the same time every Tuesday. Tim and Abby were able to go through all the tapes from a camera that was set up a few stores down and narrow the field easily enough. The guy was a civilian and Gibbs had him in interrogation while Tony and Kate viewed.

"Quit staring, Tony." Kate told him.

"I'm not," his arms were crossed over his chest, and even though he was looking through the glass, he was looking at Kate's reflection.

"You are,"

"Not,"

"Are,"

"Not,"

"Yes, you are, DiNozzo. Now don't make me clock you!"

"Wow, you have some anger in you."

"Tony," Kate ground through her teeth, glaring at him.

"Fine." Tony turned to her. "What's your problem?"

"My problem?!" she demanded.

"Yes, ever since I came in this morning, you've been sending me dirty looks and making gross noises at me."

Kate glared at him. "You slept with Claire," she said through her teeth.

"Oh," Tony stood back. "That's uh, that's not true."

"You're such an idiot DiNozzo." she shook her head in disgust. "I know you, and as much as it repulses me, I am a profiler and I can tell when you've have sex."

"That is gross,"

"And Claire is my best friend. So I know,"

"Okay, not that it's any of your business, but this is your fault, anyway, Todd." Tony blamed.

"How?"

"You're the one that pointed out the fact that I actually liked Claire with all your _exactlys__."_ he mocked her on the last word.

"What does that mean?"

"That means that I probably wouldn't have realized that I actually liked Claire if you hadn't pointed it out to me when we were one the Jordon case." he told her, smug.

Kate glowered at him, 'cause it was true, she may have egged him on, for some crazy reason that seemed beyond her reason. "Still, I know you, Tony. And if you hurt her, I will kill you and Abby will help to make sure that there is no trace evidence left."

"I'll keep that in mind, but don't get too eager."

It turned out that Varn was trying to trade government information, but they quickly put a cork in that.

_tbc!_


	8. Chapter 8

**a/n: A while has passed.**

**Chapter Summary: **The team helps Claire and Tony move in, until Claire gets called in to process a scene for the FBI.

**Invitation: **_**Day Off**_

"Okay... Okay... Ooooh," Claire moaned as she bounced on Tony's lap, his hands were on her hips, her knees on either side of his thighs, her hands clutching the back of her couch. She was getting a cramp, but no way was she going to stop, not when it felt this good. This was better than any kind of alcohol or drug in the world, and even if she was about to be murdered, she would still keep going; lifting up and feeling his cock leave her, only to drop down and feel him inside of her again. Tony kissed her, biting where neck met shoulder with enough pressure for her to feel it, but not enough to leave a mark, as much as he would have liked. Her hands went into her hair and she pulled him to her breast. "Fuck, I love you." she panted.

Tony stilled her hips, stopping her movements and Claire pulled his head back to look at him heated confusion. "What?" he asked her.

"What," she repeated, out of breath.

"Are you just saying that because we're having sex?" he asked her, just as breathless; it was killing him to keep her still but he really needed and wanted to know.

"No, Tony. I love you because I do,"

Tony smirked. "Any other reasons?"

"A bunch," she told him, yanking his head back by his hair. "One. You fuck me so good, I'm still coming hours after." she kissed him, biting his lip and stretching it as she came away.

"God, you're hot. And anyone who doesn't fall in love with is a complete idiot."

"Do that mean you?" she asked, weaving her hips despite his grip.

His breath came out jagged. "Do you even have to ask? I... Love you, Claire Novak." he crashed his lips to hers and their tongues entangled as he moved his hands from her hips to either side of her neck. She resumed her bouncing, but they were slower this time, more purposeful to fit the kiss; slow, sensual and with feeling. Tony tried to thrust into her, he couldn't help it, but he couldn't seem to do so in his current position and it was driving him crazy. "Your couch is horrible," he panted into her mouth. And it was; hard, sunken, and full of loud springs. He grabbed her ass and lifted her up, not so mush that he slipped out of her, but enough to move Claire onto her back on the coffee table. He thrusted powerfully into her as she hit the surface.

"Oh, god!" she cried out, and he didn't stop either. She could no longer string words together and was left with just sounds.

Tony was fine either way, he used all his concentration to thrust into her, hitting the right spots at the right times and in the perfect sequences. It left her boneless, her legs barely able to stay wrapped around his waist, her nails leaving more than red streaks across his bare back. He was going to get rug burn on his knees, but he didn't care, it was well worth it. Claire's head was thrown back and Tony knew that she was close, could tell with the way that she pulsated around his cock.

"I'm... co-coming!" Tony grunted, his arms around her as he lifted her completely off the table top and came, jerking inside of her. Claire cried out as she tightened around his member and arched into him, pushing him ever deeper, her thighs strained around his hips. They collapsed back onto the table, sated and breathless in ecstasy. Tony buried his face in Claire's neck, his breath hot as he kissed the slick skin. "M've in w'th m-me." he whispered against her skin.

"What?" she asked, breathless.

Tony took a moment to get his breath back, before he shifted himself up onto shaky elbows. He look at Claire, beautiful as ever; her skin glistening with sex-sweat, her golden hair around her head like a halo, trembling with orgasm because of him. "Move in with me," he repeated.

Claire looked at him. "Are you... are you serious, Tony?" she asked.

"I am," he told her.

Claire pushed herself up, which made Tony have to sit back on his knees otherwise he would get a face full of her glorious breasts, there was no way that he could mind that, but he was trying to ask something very important of Claire. Something that was huge. And something that he never asked another woman before.

"And this isn't just because you were coming when you asked?"

"If your answer is no, then just say it." he told, looking away, his chin jutting out.

"Tony... Tony," she repeated when he didn't look at her and finally she put a finger under his chin and made him look at her, before she cupped his cheek. "Have I told you yet that I love, and that yes, I will move in with you?" Tony grinned at her and how could she resist kissing those lips? "So, the question is..." she said, finally pulling away from his lips. "Your place, or, mine?"

"Are you sure that you want to do this, Claire?" Kate asked her friend as she taped the filled box.

"And you're asking me this now," Claire asked her with a raised brow, "After everything is packed?"

"Better late than never...?" she tried.

Claire scoffed. "You're acting like your in this relationship and not me," she noted riley.

"What?" Kate demanded in disgust, "That's gross!"

"There's nothing gross about it, in fact, I would be concerned if you weren't." Claire told her.

Now Kate was confused, it brushing aside the _ugh!_ of that last comment. "What does that mean?"

"It means that because you're concerned, I know that you know that this is serious, and you're just making sure-"

"That you're making a complete mistake!" Kate pointed out, with an accompanying look.

Claire sighed and shook her head. "As hard as this may be to believe-"

"I'll say."

"I love Tony, and he loves me." she simply shrugged her shoulders.

"You've only been going out for eight months, you can't fall in love and move in in that short time." Kate told her.

"If you find the right person, you do."

Kate looked disgusted. "Don't tell me you're going to go all gooey and love-y dove-y on me now, are you?"

Claire said dryly, "You're hopeless,"

"And you're back!" Kate cheered with vigour; maniacal vigour.

"You're funny," she commented, just as dry.

"Thanks," Kate said sarcastically as he climbed to her feet.

"So, all this stuff needs to go to the dump," Claire told Kate, gesturing to her crappy couch and all the stuff that was piled on top of it. "And this stuff cane get donated." she pointed to another, smaller pile.

"Right. And do you suppose we do that? My car and yours can't fit a couch in the back seat." Kate pointed out.

"I know. It's already taken care of,"

"It is?"

"Yes, I already paid a few guys to do it. They'll be here in about an hour. Why do you look so surprised, Kate?" Claire asked.

"I guess you're serious."

"That's what I've been telling you all week," Claire told her, almost smug. "You-shit" she took her phone from her pocket, she flipped it open. "Yeah, Novak. What? But it's my day off. Aren't there any other Agents- but- (sigh) Yes, Director, I'll be there within forty minutes. Thank you,"

Kate watched as Claire closed her phone and could almost hear in as she gnashed her teeth. "Claire?"

"Shit," Claire said in answer.

"What was that?"

"I have to go back into work," Claire told her.

"But it's your day off," Kate protested.

"Yeah, well, the F.B.I. doesn't seem to care,"

"The F.B.I.?" Kate asked in confusion.

"Yeah, remember?" Claire made a come-on motion with her hand.

Kate just stared at her blankly.

"I used to work for Special Agent Tobias Fornell in the F.B.I. as an Crime Scene Evidence Collector and Investigator, until I got pulled to NCIS five years ago." Claire explained.

"I didn't know this," Kate said, feeling rather hurt.

"Well, it was when you were in the Secret Service, and we kind of lost track of each other, didn't we?" Claire said with realization.

"So, who pulled you?" Kate asked.

"Well, Director Sheppard, but ultimately it was my choice."

"Right. So why are they calling you now?"

"Well, sometimes, when they're under-staffed or because, well, you know..." Claire sent her a look. "I'm pretty good, I think. I would be head there if I wasn't at NCIS."

"So, you're not afraid to brag now?" Kate raised her brows, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Seriously?" Claire's hands were on her hips. "Which is better, FBI or NCIS? Hm? See,"

"Fine." Kate relented, "And you are good, you wouldn't be head of Evidence otherwise."

"Glad you see it my way,"

Kate shook her head. "You've been around DiNozzo too long."

"Hopefully longer,"

"He's going to spoil you," Kate warned.

"Then consider me spoiled," Claire smiled brightly at her. "Since I have to leave, can you take care of this?" she gestured around her apartment.

"Yeah, half an hour, right?" Kate clarified.

"Yep, couch equals garbage, other pile equals donations." Claire reminded. "Tony and Tim should by soon with all of Tony's stuff."

"So I'll se you later, then?" Kate asked.

Claire grabbed her sweater and slid her arms through the sleeves, and grabbed her keys. She had badge and ID with her, but her gun was at NCIS HQ, she had one of her spare kits in the trunk of her Neon Ford so that was fine, and she didn't need her weapon anyway, not where she was going. "Yeah, call me or I'll call you when I'm finished."

"See ya," Kate called as Claire shut the door behind her.

As Claire walked down her apartment stairs, she called Tony's cell.

"_Hey, babe."_ Tony answered, sounding slightly out of breath. "_How's it going."_

"I've been called in to work," Claire told him.

"_What? But it's your day off!" _he protested, just like Kate had, Claire smiled.

"I know, believe me, but I was ordered by the Director."

"_Why_?"

"It was a request by Fornell to cover an FBI scene." she explained.

"_Right, if Gibbs finds out, he'll be pissed_." Tony noted; remembering the relationship between Gibbs and Fornell, Fornell having remarried one of the Boss' exes; and even though Claire was not part of Gibbs' team, they worked with each other and he would be pissed that it was Fornell. Claire had told him that she had worked with the FBI before coming to NCIS, and Tony would hate to see Claire be the rope in their tug-of-war game; NCIS VS FBI.

"Yes, well, he'll just have to deal with it, and anyway, I'm pissed too." Claire growled, jamming her car key into the door lock and turning it with more force than was necessary. "This is my day off, the one time that the whole team has off to help us with this moving thing, and I get called it. It sucks!" Claire climbed into her car and jerked her seatbelt around her waist.

"It does," Tony sighed. "Sorry, Claire."

Claire smiled as she put the key into the ignition and started her car. "That's sweet," she said as she pulled from her parking spot and onto the road.

"Anyway, by the time you're done there, we'll be done here." he assured her.

"I'll call when I'm done," Claire told him. "And tell Tim I said thanks for using his day off to help, and be nice."

"_Yes, mother_."

"Ugh, please, don't ever call me that." Claire said. "Because mother's don't have sex with their sons, so that means you won't get any."

"_You may have went a little too far there, Novak. With holding sex? That's a Federal Crime you know."_ she could hear his scowl and pout.

Claire chuckled. "It would only hurt the both of us."

"_Call me when you're done,"_

"I love you, DiNozzo."

"_You too, Novak."_

Claire hung up with a sigh, so much for a day off.

_tbc!_


	9. Chapter 9

**a/n: Many hours later.**

**Chapter Summary:** Claire goes missing, and it's up to Gibbs' team (+ a distraught Tony) to find her.

**Invitation: **_**Where Art Thou?**_

"Yeah, Gibbs." Gibbs answered his cell as he wedged it between his ear and shoulder. It was around 8 p.m. and as was per usual on his days off, he was down in his basement working on his boat. He was searching for a the right screw in his jar, but stopped when the voice on the other end finally decided to speak up.

"_Gibbs_-"

"Fornell," Gibbs growled.

"_Gibbs, now is not the time_."

"You're right. It's my day off so this must be important, so quit stalling."

"_There was a murder this morning in Winchester, an informant of the FBI's. We've been understaffed with the flu so I called Director __Shepherd__ to see if she could lend me one of her CS__EC__s. I requested the Agent that used to work for me, before NCIS stole her away."_

"Novak," Gibbs concluded, knowing of the Agent's prior work connections. "It was her day off, you know."

"_Yes, well, this needed to get done, Gibbs, and quick."_

"I'm waiting," Gibbs told him, though his famous gut was already telling him what had happened, and he knew that his team was not going to be very happy with the FBI, not that any of them were on a good day.

"_Not to long ago, I got a call to tell me that all my Agents there were knocked out with gas. Novak is missing_,"

"You've just made a bunch of enemies, Tobias." Gibbs growled, setting down his jar of screws and already on the move. "You better be there when I get there," and he snapped the phone shut, only to open it again and dial Kate's number.

"_Todd_," Kate sighed.

"You still with DiNozzo and McGee?"

"_Yeah. We got a case, didn't we, Gibbs_?"

"Get here quick," was all Gibbs said before he hung up, already dressed and in his truck.

Gibbs already knew that Fornell was in the Director's office when he got to the bullpen, it was a few minutes later when Kate, Tony and Tim came in the elevator.

"This sucks," Tony commented. "First Claire and now us; isn't it supposed to be our day off, Boss?"

"I was sure that there are other NCIS teams in this building," Kate grumped.

"In the Director's office," Gibbs ordered, "Now."

Tony looked about to open his mouth to, well, mouth off, but Tim was the one who actually elbowed him in the side to shut him up. Tony glared, and Gibbs gave him a light tap on the head. Tony flinched, but that was it. And they headed up the stairs to Shephard's office. The instant the three of them stepped into the office and saw Fornell, the air zapped with electricity. They were all alert with a speed that made Gibbs proud, despite the situation.

"This can't be good," Tim muttered under his breath to the two Agents at his side.

"And it isn't, Agent McGee." Shephard said, causing the younger Agent to start.

"Fornell, why don't you fill them in." Gibbs said, his voice hard. His team looked at him.

Fornell cleared his throat, and three sets of glares focused on him. "Noon this morning in Winchester, an FBI informant was found murdered. The Agents at the scene were gassed..."

"Just tell them, Tobias." Gibbs growled.

Kate shook her head rapidly. "That was the scene that Claire was called to, wasn't it?" she said.

Tony was frozen. "What?" his voice was barely audible.

"Agent Novak is missing," Director Shephard informed the team.

Gibbs should have seen this coming, but Tony had never been in this kind of situation before, so Gibbs actually wasn't sure how his Agent would react to the news, and apparently, neither did anyone else in the room except for Tony.

He had frozen, for just an instant, as this information stabbed home, harshly and roughly. His girlfriend of 8 months, his love, the woman who he had just moved in with, was missing, and the man in front of him was responsible. He could have sworn that he saw red, his mind clicked off. Tony leapt around his friends and Gibbs, and dove across the table in order to get to Fornell. And there was no way that Fornell saw this coming.

"Tony!" Kate shouted, but stayed were she was with a hand on Tim's arm, keeping them both in place. Even though Tim would never admit it, just like her, whatever Fornelll got, he deserved.

Tony grabbed the lapels of Fornell's coat. "You have no idea what you've just done!" his fist was up and ready. He didn't care that this was an FBI Agent, or that it was in front of the Director, Claire was missing and Fornell was at fault; this was supposed to be their day off.

"Agent DiNozzo!" Shephard barked.

But it was Gibbs' sharp growl that pierced his back, "DiNozzo. If you go through with this, you're off this case and I'll send you packing."

Tony's body practically quivered with the effort that it took not to fallow through with the punch, as much as he wanted to, he needed to be on this case, he needed to find his Claire. "If anything happens to Claire, Fornell, anything that I say will not even compare to what I will do to you." he let go of Fornell's coat, his breath coming out harshly as he leaned back against the table's edge and looked at Fornell, his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze colder than even Gibbs'.

Fornell cleared his throat and straightened his coat.

"Go ahead, Agent Fornell." Shephard finally said from behind her desk.

"The FBI had been fallowing Jamie Moralto, he's the lead in a gun smuggling operation from Canada. Not to long ago we've turned one of the low key guys into a informant to the FBI; Derek Barnes. Recently, he'd been moving up the ranks. He turned up dead this morning in Winchester, zippered." Fornell told them.

"What's zippered?" Tim asked.

"It's where they cut the body in half at the waist high using an automatic weapon with a big calibre, McGee." Tony explained, his tone cold, but not towards Tim. "I saw it once in Baltimore, it was mob related. It's usually used for body disposal, but if it's done just right, the victim can last up to half an hour before they bleed out. It's not pretty,"

"So, you think that Moralto found out, killed Barnes and then took Agent Novak as a warning?" Kate asked.

"Maybe," Fornell said. "But I've been on Moralto for a while now, and if he wanted to warn the FBI, then those Agents would have been killed."

"So, personal then." Shephard concluded.

"Claire doesn't have any enemies," Kate told them.

"Everyone had enemies, Agent Todd." Shephard said. "Get it done, Jethro." she said pointedly, "I want my Agent back."

"Go," Gibbs barked and Kate and Tim went into instant action, leaving the Director's office and down to the bullpen, Tony was more slower.

"I'm not liking this, Gibbs." Tony muttered as he passed his boss.

Gibbs grabbed his upper arm and stopped him. "You don't have to like it, DiNozzo. Now get it done," he let go of Tony's arm with a sigh, and the Senior Agent fallowed after his team. Gibbs turned to Shephard and Fornell, his arms crossed over his chest, his blue gaze hard, his body language screaming _pissed!_ "We need to have a chat,"

"I don't like this," Kate said to Tony in the bullpen. "It's not right."

"You're right," Tony told her and Tim. "But Claire is missing a-and she's in danger, and if this is going to save her, then we do it. We're not going to look at her different," he whispered.

"Tony," Tim's voice was soft.

Tony shook his head. "This is no time for feelings," he straightened his shoulders. "McGee, you look into Claire's history, I want everything you find, especially anything that stands out. Kate, we'll look into Moralto, check out Fornell's theory."

Kate and Tim nodded, going to there desks, they had to get their friend back. Tony stayed where he was, in the middle of the bullpen. His shaded blue eyes were blank as he stared at the carpet.

Gibbs watched his Senior Agent from upstairs, looking helpless. He had been that way once before, when he found out Shannon was dead. She was his first love. Gibbs knew, in his gut, that Claire was still alive. But he also knew that even though Tony had had too many one night stands to bother counting, he had never fallen in love with them like he had with Claire. And with their job, and the tie in with the FBI, it made things that much worse, but better at the same time, because they were Agents and they had the resources. Gibbs was pissed about this, at Jenny and Tobias; though Claire was not on his team, she was an extension. She's known Kate since high school, Abby since she'd first transferred over from the FBI, Ducky from the crime scenes they'd done together, Tim since his promotion from Norfolk, Jenny was the one that made her the offer, and now Claire and Tony were in a committed relationship; so by extension Novak was his Agent. And he was pissed that she was missing.

"Tell me what you have," Gibbs said, finally in the bullpen, his arms crossed as stood in the middle at the big screen between his two Agents desks.

There was silence. Gibbs knew that this was different than just any missing persons case, it always was when you knew the person. So, instead of barking, Gibbs waited. He knew that Tim and Kate were waiting for Tony, he was their Senior Agent and above that, Claire was his girlfriend. But Tony was silent, sitting behind his desk, his arms on the top, his gaze fixed blankly on his computer screen.

"Uh," Gibbs turned his gaze to Kate, who stood next to him. "I checked with Agent Fornell's theory, and it seemed to fit. From what I can tell, Moralto _would_ have come in with guns hot. Barnes was the warning, not Claire."

At her name, Tony's gaze snapped to Kate, but he didn't say anything.

"Okay," Gibbs nodded. "DiNozzo, head in the game." Tony mumbled something that must have been along the lines of _yes, boss._ "Tim," he turned to his youngest Agent.

"Um," Tim was very nervous. "From-from the beginning, boss?" he asked with hesitation, his gaze shooting to Tony.

Gibbs nostrils faired, he tried playing nice, but that wasn't working. "DiNozzo," he growled, going over to Tony's desk, _slap!_ Tony looked up at him with startled eyes. "I'm sending you home,"

"No!" Tony protested, up from his chair.

"Then get off your ass, and pay attention." Gibbs ordered, and Tony snapped to, next to Kate. Gibbs turned to Tim. "From the _top_, McGee."

"Right, boss." Tim stood from his desk and with a last look at Tony, turned to the big screen with the remote in hand. He clicked it, and Claire's photo ID appeared on the screen. "Claire Novak, born August 3rd, 1976, Pontiac, Illinois." He clicked again, and two other pictures appeared, "The only child of Amelia Novak, surname Donovan, and Jimmy Novak; she was a stay at home mom, and he sold radio ad time. There is no record of a divorce, but Jimmy left when Claire was 12, a year later there are reports that he came back, that same night two neighbours were reported murdered in the Novak home. Their only suspect was Jimmy and two unidentified subjects, but he's been off the grid since. Claire went to therapy for a year, and her mother was diagnosed with depression. Claire and her mother moved in with her mother's parents, and when she turned 17, Claire left home and went to college in Pennsylvania. She got her graduated with Honours and a Bachelor's Degree in forensics." he clicked and a bunch of certificates shot up onto the screen. "She joined the Police Academy and studied as a CSI, out of the Academy, she was recruited by the Washington FBI. She was well on her way to being bumped up to be the Head of her Department, five years ago, she got an offer to work for NCIS, and took it. Currently, she'd the Head down in Evidence." Tim finished with a breath.

"Thoughts," Gibbs said.

"Claire doesn't have any flags in her history or her file, all the cases that she's worked here and at the FBI, were never her as a Field Agent, she'd just dealt with the evidence." Tim spoke.

"Then that leaves her father," Kate sighed, knowing that that was a sour subject with Claire. She knew that her friend's father left, but never knew that he left an impression like that. "It's the only blip."

"Okay," Gibbs nodded. "We need to talk to her mother, get me a location on her, McGee." he said.

Tim winced at that. "I already did that,"

"And? McGee,"

Tim took a breath through his nose, but Kate spoke up. "Claire's mother isn't going to be any help, she's not dead, but that doesn't matter. The reason why Claire and her mother moved in with her grandparents, was because of Amelia's mental health. The depression was only the start," she told them reluctantly, know that this was an equally upsetting subject with Claire, one that she didn't speak of more than her father leaving. "The pills didn't seem to work, they got her checked out, nothing seemed wrong. Amelia's parents urged her to see a psychiatrist. She had a mental break down, spouting things about Angels and Demons and possession. She was committed to an institute,"

"So, why suddenly Religion?" Gibbs questioned.

"Claire's family, or, her father, was a very committed Christian. So was Claire, it was what she grew up into." Kate shrugged her shoulders. "She told me once, when we were in college, that-that before her father left, like a month before, he and her mother were fighting. Jimmy said that a-an Angel was talking to him, like, telling him he was being chosen, or something. I don't know, Claire was only twelve at the time. But, her mother wanted him to go see someone and to take pills or she would take Claire away. It was two days after that, that Jimmy left. It was in the middle of the night, and Claire heard him leave. She went after him, and he told that her that he wasn't her father anymore." she shook her head.

"McGee," Gibbs turned to his Agent. "I want everything and anything you have on Jimmy Novak, find him."

"Right," McGee said softly. "The father it is." he clicked the remote, and Jimmy Novak's picture filled the screen, before he went back to his computer. He didn't like doing this, looking into his friend's past like that, it felt like a total invasion of privacy. But Tony was right, even if it felt totally wrong, if it helped get Claire back alive, it would be worth the guilt.

"Kate," Gibbs turned to her. "I want to get a hold of that homicide file."

She nodded and went to her phone.

Tony sighed, heavy and heartfelt, broken and guilty. It was bad enough that Claire was missing and her status unknown, but to dig through her past like this? It made it worst. He now knew things about his girlfriend that he didn't know, and maybe even things that she would never tell him, or not until they were married. Hah, that was a thought. Tony DiNozzo, married, but with Claire, anything seemed possible. But in order for that to happen, he needed to have Claire. He looked at the picture on the big screen; Claire's father. The two of them looked more alike than Claire and her mother, they had the exact same eyes; big, deep, dark pools of aqua like a marina, they held the gleam of belief that there was something more bigger and powerful out there. Tony couldn't believe that such a religious man like Jimmy could do something harmful to Claire, but then again, how could he say that he wasn't Claire's father? God, Tony missed her so much, today was supposed to be a happy day, but now it was crap.

"Tony..." Gibbs said, in a sympathetic tone.

"_What the hell is that_!"

"Claire?" Tony's voiced in confusion as he spun around to her.

_tbc!_


	10. Chapter 10

**a/n: A few hours earlier.**

**Chapter Summary: **Claire gets a visit from the past.

**Invitation: **_**A Blast From the Past**_

_Claire was pissed when she got into her car, and was still pissed when she got out of the car in Winchester. She shoved it down, though, as she grabbed her kit from the trunk of her Neon, and flashed her badge to the uniform at the tap__e__. He gave her a confused look, and it didn't help improve her mood._

_"Yes, I realize that this isn't a dead marine," Claire told him, trying very hard not to roll her eyes. "I'm a loan for Agent Fornell. If you want, I can call him and you can get yelled at."_

_"No. It's fine,__ ma'am.__" he lifted the tape and she went under._

_There were four uniforms there, two FBI suits and the coroner and his assistant who were already at the body. That left only her to process the scene, what a great day off. She snapped on some gloves and got her camera out, going to the body first so that the coroner could take it away. She took pictures. The guy was __definitely__ dead, and it __definitely__ had to be gang or mob related; the guy was cut in half, and from the casings around the body, it wasn't by an axe or anything. When they took the body away, she did a sketch of the scene, then took pictures of all of the shells before bagging them. There was more than thirty and they each got there own little baggie. She swabbed the blood and went from there; doing the work of a team, all on her own. She took pictures of everything, bagged and sealed, took swabs, dusted, collected. It took her at least three hours to comb through the whole place, while being thorough. She sighed everything and dated everything, before she handed it all off to the two suits, they __signed__ to keep the chain of __custody__ in tact._

_"I'll have my report to Fornell sometime tomorrow." Claire told the pair. And then she was finished, and she was relieved. She climbed into her car after putting her kit in the backseat, and was ready to call Kate and then Tony, to tell them she was done and on her way back, but she was getting no signal. "Dam__n__it!" she cursed and chucked her phone onto the passenger seat. Why the hell was this happening? She sighed and put the key in the ignition as she drew her seatbelt. But she stopped when she heard a couple of thuds outside and when she looked in her __rear-view__ mirror to see the uniforms on the ground and the suits knocked out in their car. "What-"_

_Claire heard the rumble of an engine and it wasn't hers. She was no longer in the driver's seat of her car, and instead in the back of another. She had no idea what was happening or how it even happened; the fact that she was no longer at the crime__scene and in her own car, but her instincts kicked in and she reached for her SIG on her hip. It wasn't there, she didn't have it at her apartment, it was still at HQ and she didn't have her back-up either. Bad- this was bad._

_"What the hell; who are you and what do you want?" Claire demanded. It was dark in the car, and it was plain highway back and forth, no streetlights anywhere._

_"We need to talk," said the guy that was driving and Claire could have sworn she'd heard that voice before, way to long ago to properly recognize. "I know you're freaking right now, I did the first few times too, but we're not here to hurt you, Claire."_

_"W- How do you know my name?" _

_"We met once before," the guy said, he was young, probably a little older than Tony. "When you were thirteen."_

_Claire tried to think back, that was when her father left her._

_"I know your-"_

_"Claire," a gravely voice spoke up next to her, and she jumped to the other side of the backseat with what could almost be considered a scream._

_"Nearly did that myself the first time," the driver commented dryly. "Little warning next time,"_

_"Sorry, Dean." the voice next to her said, and she knew that name from somewhere._

_Claire looked to the guy next to her, and even though it was hard to see in here, she knew that __silhouette __ anywhere. "Dad?" she said in __disbelief__. It got her everytime._

"I am not your father,"

_And then it clicked, and it felt like her heart broke all over again. When she was twelve, her father was spoken to by an Angel and that Angel took her father away from her. "Castiel," she sneered the name. That's right. It was unbelievable, but then again, it didn't seem real to her either. She thought that her father had just left her, but when he looked at her that night, it wasn't her father that spoke, but someone, something else. And when she was thirteen and Jimmy came back, he came back with Demons on his heals. Castiel had taken her for only but ten minutes, until he retook her father. Yeah, she thought she was crazy, her mother _actually_ went crazy. But Claire hadn't forced her to forget, but instead, Castiel made her forget. But apparently with his __reappearance__, they came back. "What the hell do you want?" she demanded._

_"We need your help," Dean said._

_"With what?"_

_"There has been a few marines dead, they were scattered deaths, but they all had a few things in common. One, was a tattoo on their chest. Remember them?"_

_"Yeah, what does that have to do with anything?"_

_"They're a protection __symbol__ that wards any Demon possession," he explained._

_And Claire now remembered why it had seemed familiar to her, only she couldn't dig up the forgotten memory._

_"All Hunters have them, it's good for the soul."__ he punned._

_"And..."_

_"They're being haunted by their pasts, and killed."_

_"So, what do you want?"_

_"We need to __commandeer__ there bodies."_

_"What!"_

_"They need to be burned in a ritual, there's this thing going around, a virus. It reanimates them in certain conditions, almost like a zombie, but worse. It needs to be done before a certain period of time,"_

_"You have an Angel, can't he find them for you?"_

_"All Hunters have Angel proofing now and Cas has sorta been expelled-"_

_"I don't even want to know," Claire shook her head. "I'll tell you, and then you kill the thing and leave me the hell alone." she growled._

_"It's a deal." Dean agreed._

_Claire looked at Castiel for a second, but could do no more than that. She was just reminded of her father, the one that was taken away from her. "O'Brian, Ranjer, Quade and Jordon are all buried in different places, and as far as I know, none have been cremated..."_

_"Thanks, Claire." Dean said, and it sounded true._

_"It's fine, just, please don't bother me again." Claire asked. "I have a life that is nowhere near this, I have a boyfriend and a trouble free job. Don't screw that up,"_

_"We'll try... Cas."_

_Claire looked and found Cas __reaching__ out to her._

_"We might have caused a little trouble when we took you though," Dean sighed, she could hear the wince in his voice._

And then she wasn't there anymore, but instead back in her car, but not at the crime scene and instead in her parking space at NCIS. Claire didn't even want to know, but she knew that Dean was right, there was some trouble ahead. She wanted to forget it, well, at least she forgot her phone in her car and she went up the elevator, planning on going to see the Director, trying to come up with a cover of what might lie ahead, but instead got off at the bullpen. She rounded the corner and stopped dead.

Gibbs' team was gathered around the big screen, but she could see between them and saw what there were looking at, a picture of her dad. Jimmy, not Castiel.

"What the hell is that?!" Claire demanded to know.

The team all shot around to look at her, shock on there faces. "Claire?" Tony's voice was faint, unbelieved.

"Yeah, it's me. Now what the hell is that, Tony?" Claire repeated.

"Claire..." his voice was exactly the same.

"Kate?" Claire turned to her friend, hoping she would be able to string more than her name together.

"Uh," apparently not, and Claire knew that she was never going to get anything out of Tim.

"Agent Gibbs?" Claire turned her stare to him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"The Agents at crime scene that you processed were gassed, when they woke up, you were missing, but your car was still at the scene, your cell in the passenger seat. You've been UA for four hours," Gibbs told her.

"You can't be serious!" So there must be memory loss with Cas' knockout, this was going to be fun to explain. Claire skewered her mind; think, think! Got it, "My cell didn't have a signal, and yes, I believe that I could have asked one of the FBI Agents for their cell, but then again, the world isn't ending. I could have waited until I got back to the apartment, but I promised that I would call when I was finished. So I went to a payphone in the park, no one answered their phone, I got preoccupied, lost, pissed, then even more pissed that when I finally got back to the crime scene, my goddamned car wasn't there. I had to walk. Couldn't find a bus, didn't enough cash for a cab, got here by hitchhiking, thank you very much."

"Mm-hm," Gibbs nodded.

"What? You don't believe me, Gibbs?"

"Didn't say that."

"Fine. Tony?" Claire took his hand. "I'm fine, okay."

Tony nodded, squeezing her hand. "Claire,"

"Yeah, Tony."

"I love you, and I'm glad that you weren't kidnapped and tortured."

"Heh, I am too, Tony. Now, I have to talk to the Director, but I'll come back, okay?" Tony nodded and Claire gave him a quick kiss before she headed of the stairs.

"It's okay, Tony." Kate patted his shoulder, "She's okay."

"Yeah..."

_tbc!_


	11. Chapter 11

**a/n: Present.**

**Chapter Summary: **Gibbs wants some answers and Claire is pissed.

**Invitation: **_**Interrogation**_

"Is this really necessary, Agent Gibbs?" Claire asked at the interrogation table.

"Just want to clear a few things up," Gibbs said, sitting across from her.

"In the interrogation room?"

"Interview room,"

"And I'm the president!" Gibbs just stared at her. "Fine, ask away." The sudden reappearance of her past had really caused a lot of trouble; this was supposed to be her day off, to be with Tony and their friends, and for the two of them to move in together like a normal couple. But of course, it couldn't be that simple, her past could never be simple.

"Tell me about the scene of the crime."

"Arrived at the scene just before one o'clock; present were two squad cars with four uniformed officers, and one sedan with two FBI Agents; I was the only CSEC. I sketched the scene, took photo's of the body before it was taken away. Collected over thirty bullet casings, dug the bullets out of the ground, swabbed the blood. I went over the scene twice; took casting of any marks in the dirt, and any footprints that I found, measured and photographed. Every piece of garbage or anything that didn't immediately belonging the area. After I was finished, I handed all of my collection to the two FBI Agents."

"The surrounding area,"

"It was clear, there was only the six officers. It's an FBI thing, they stop anyone from getting even remotely close to the tape. I saw no one suspicious,"

"After you finished processing the scene,"

Claire sighed, this was where she had to be specific, but not too specific. She was lying here, so she had to pay attention, mix the lie in with the truth. "I got into my car, my phone was getting no bars. I looked for a payphone instead of asking, or even driving to one. I was angry, this was supposed to be my day off and I get called in, and not even to my actually job, but to do my old one." Claire took a breath through her nose, long and hard; remembering why she was pissed. She continued, "I find a payphone, called everyone, but apparently in was ignore Claire day, and no one picked up. I got sidetracked for a while after that, and then when I went back to the crime scene, my car was gone, and so was everyone else."

"And what sidetracked you, Novak?"

Claire let out single bark of laughter, before her expression settled on contempt. "There was this woman, she said she took her eyes off her daughter for a second, and I helped her."

"Does this woman have a name?"

"I'm sure that she does,"

"You didn't ask?"

"No,"

"Why?"

"Why did I have to? It's not a crime not to ask for someone's name, Gibbs." Claire pushed out from her chair, and went for the door.

Gibbs' gaze fallowed her. "Where are you going?"

Claire opened the door. "It's my day off, Gibbs, I'm going to go home, with Tony."

"Do mental break downs run in the family?"

"What!" Claire demanded, spinning around. "I get that with our job, a missing Agent isn't something to be ignored; if it happened to Tony, Kate or Tim, I would be in everyone's ass. But it's different when it's you, isn't it? When you're friends take apart everything you are, find out things that you were never going to tell, or didn't have the chance to, it's all out in the open. There's no going back, there's no denying anything. How you would you feel, Gibbs? If you team knew things about you that you won't even admit to yourself." she looked straight at him, still, waiting for an answer.

Gibbs stared back, unblinking and unmoving as ever. "When's the last time you saw your mother, Claire?"

Claire's hands slapped down on the table top loudly, and she leaned forward to Gibbs. "I want to hurt you do bad, I don't care if it ends my career; you never talk about my mother, never." she hissed. "And I'm smart enough to realize that you thought that my father came after me, it's the obvious way to go, but never disrespect my father like that."

"Are you aware of your father's whereabouts?"

"No," Claire told him, her eyes narrowed. "I don't know where my father is, but what I do know, is that wherever he is, his changing the world in god's name." she paused. "He raised me right, to respect people, but I'm finding it rather difficult at the moment."

"You're father abandoned you, Claire." Gibbs said, not budging. "He didn't raise you,"

"My father was chosen by the Angels, and he's with me every second of everyday." she swallowed harshly. "You don't know my father, or our relationship."

"Your connection, it sounds to me that you haven't lost contact."

"It doesn't matter where my father is; here in America, or on the other side of the Earth, we're father and daughter, we're blood, we're connected by god and by spirit- no distance breaks that, no amount of time and separation. Gibbs," Claire smiled. "You can take what you will from this _interview_, it doesn't matter. I care for my mother, love my father, Kate... Tony. Nothing you say, will change that." She stood up, "I will have my statement on the matter in for you when I come into work tomorrow, and I will have my report in on the Barnes' case into to Fornell then too." she turned and left.

Gibbs sat there for a minute. Claire was a good Agent, great at her job and he knew there was nothing wrong with her head. People deal differently with the abandonment of a loved one, that was how her mother dealt with it. Claire, dealt with it differently; believing that her father was always with her, no matter what. What Gibbs couldn't get, though, was how a father could leave his wife and child, even in the name of God and Angels. He would like to say that he would never do that to Shannon and Kelly, but he had, not in the name of God, but for his country, and he wasn't there to protect them when they needed it most.

Claire never once let go of Tony's hand on their way back to the apartment, _their_ apartment, and Tony didn't either. It was late and they went to bed, never letting go. They didn't have sex, and instead Claire curled up against his side, Tony's arm around her, holding her close.

Tony's mind wasn't a loud buzz, but a dull roar. There were a lot of things that he didn't know about Claire, or at least, that used to be true. Now he knew everything, all of her family secrets, all of her dirty laundry. He wasn't going to talk about it though, force her. He wanted her to tell him on her own, on her own terms. He loved Claire, and he didn't want something like this to wreck that; he was the happiest he had ever been.

_tbc!_


	12. Chapter 12

**a/n: **

**Chapter Summary: **Claire tries to make a choice, and Gibbs gives her a push.

**Invitation: **_**Coward**_

"Tony..." Claire sighed, trailing off and swallowing hard. "Tony- _Dam__n__it_!" she cursed, putting her face in her hands.

It had been a week since her '_kidnapping__'__,_ (she had _actually _been kidnapped, by her not-father and the Hunter, but no one else knew about them but her), and the invasion into her personal history. She was flattered that her friends were right on her case when they thought that she had gone missing, she wasn't made about that or at them, she loved them all in different ways. She was angry with herself, at her past, and for what it was. She knew that not everyone's past was simple, like her father leaving because he was having an affair instead of giving up his body to an Angel. Kate was the only one who knew about her mother and that her father left in the name of God; she hadn't told Tony yet, but now he knew anyway, everyone knew anyway. The way she was now, you wouldn't think that that was what her past was like. It was like they were walking on egg shells around her, like she did with her mother, Claire had to because any slip would cause an episode. But Claire was not her mother and there wasn't egg shells around her. She could even see the guilt on Kate, who already knew about her past, except for the supernatural aspect. Tim was stuttering around her again, like when they first met each other; he was nervous and overly guilty. Tony was quiet, too quiet, so unlike him.

Claire couldn't take it anymore; knew that he looked at her differently. And that was why she was in her office, back to the door, trying find a way to say. "Tony... I think... I mean... we're great together..." she felt tears prick her eyes. "I love you... but I can't... I can't take it anymore. I'm not mad at you... Tony... God, I love you... Why... Tony... Tony..." She sucked in a tattered breath, a tear or two escaped her aqua pools. "I-I think we should break-break up... Tone..."

Claire heard her door knob jiggle and hastily wiped the tears form her pale face. "Damnit, Connors! I told you to disturb me unless the evidence locker was on fire, and how many times do I have to tell you to knock?"

"Not very many say no to me," Gibbs said behind her, closing the door behind him.

Claire gritted her teeth, her back still to him. "Agent Gibbs... how nice of you to drop by- unannounced." she deadpanned.

"I announced myself to your Agent,"

"And in a stammer I'm sure that he informed you that I was not to be disturbed,"

"He did,"

"And yet, here you are... all without knocking, either."

"Yup,"

"I'm busy, Gibbs." Claire told him, her fingers tapping in her desk top.

"Cleary,"

"_Clearly,_ yes."

"Making plans to ditch my Agent?" he stated rhetorically.

Claire spun around in her chair to face him; her eyes ever-so slightly puffy. "What do you want, Gibbs?"

"How well do you think he'll take it?"

"How well do you think you'll take it?" Claire countered.

"Hm." Gibbs chuckled lightly. "That's a good one,"

"Thanks," she said dryly.

"So, after," he said, crossing his arms over his chest, "How did you plain on dealing with it, Novak?"

Claire didn't say a word.

"He gave up his apartment, you worked together-"

"I'm going back to the FBI!" Claire cut him off with a growl.

Now Gibbs really did laugh.

"You think that's funny?" she demanded.

"I do," he nodded.

Claire stood up and glared at him. "Do you know why people hate the FBI?" she asked and Gibbs raised a brow at her. "They're very secretive; you could slice the balls off the Agent with a butter knife and you still wouldn't get anything." she stabbed her finger at her desk. "Even the people who work in the FBI, hate the FBI. You don't have friends, or teams, or partners; everyone is a threat and everyone is suspicious of everyone, trying to move up the ladder. I hated it there, I'll admit, that wasn't the kind of career I wanted, full of back-stabbing. So when Agent Fornell grudgingly informed me of the offer from the Director of NCIS, I took it. Made friends with Abby, Ducky was easy to be around, then Kate came and it got even better, it was easy to be friends with Tim when he came over from Norfolk." she paused. "And then ten months ago, I met Tony. Heh," she couldn't help the smile. But then she shook her head and looked back at Gibbs. "All around me, are egg shells, Gibbs. I am not my mother, as much as you implied that a week ago."

Gibb waited a moment before he said, "You finished?"

"Apparently."

"Good. Now, quit being a complete idiot, Novak." he said.

"Really? That's what you're going to go with."

"I'm not finished." he growled. "Courting someone isn't all fun and games; there's serious things involved too. And if you even cared an ounce about Tony, then you won't run away like a coward." Gibbs gave her the stare.

"Have I told you yet, that hate you?"

"Once, last week."

"Just... Leave me alone, Gibbs." Claire sighed in defeat, slumping back into her chair.

"Get it done... Claire." Gibbs told her softly, then left.

Claire shook her head. She was in a depression, and didn't want to end up like her mother. She loved Tony, so what was the problem? She would have eventually told him about her mother and father, excluding the supernatural mess, of course. But the end was the same, and despite all odds, Gibbs was right about relationships; it wasn't all just fun and games. And she knew that if she did try and break it off with Tony, she would never be able to function the same again and neither would he. She couldn't do that, she loved him too much, him knowing what he did, didn't change that.

_tbc!_


	13. Chapter 13

**a/n: Later that night.**

**Chapter Summary: **Claire takes Gibbs' advice.

**Invitation**_**: It Doesn't Matter**_

Claire sighed. Again. She couldn't help it; it wasn't because she bored, but was because she was frustrated with herself, that it had taken Gibbs, _Gibbs_ for her to commit to this. She hated herself because she was going to ruin the good and amazing thing that she had with Tony because she was embarrassed about her dysfunctional past. She never had before, but then again, it wasn't like she blurted it out to random strangers, and it was as if people went searching for it either.

She had only one scene to process today, and she thanked a lot of things that it wasn't the case that Gibbs' team had. It didn't take that long to gather any and all evidence because she had her Senior Agent with her, Peter Connors. She'd written her report, handed it in and drove home.

She'd paced the apartment for a while, sure that her neighbours downstairs were getting pissed, but eventually she stopped because the movement didn't come to anything beside making her sweaty and more irritable, of course, being on her period didn't help her mood either. Especially now, when she was trying to figure out a way to tell Tony what he already knew. So she sat in their living room, in the dark. It probably wasn't very encouraging, but then again, she wasn't very encouraged either. Sure, Gibbs could spout a few words, ones that she was already aware of, and send her on her way, but there was still the fact of actually going through with it. She would, obviously, she loved Tony, but that didn't make this any easier. Her mind held nothing, just as the darkness.

When Tony finally came home, it was to a dark apartment. In his experience that was never a good thing. "Claire?" he called. He knew that she had to be here, she was at HQ, and she didn't leave a message saying she'd been anywhere else. He flicked the kitchen light on and found Claire illuminated in the living room, sitting on the couch, the one that was brought from his apartment. "Should I be concerned?" he asked, with humour as he went and sat next to Claire on the couch, "You didn't get bit on the way home, and'll die if you don't stay in the dark, will you?"

"Tony..." Claire voiced, and it may have been in the same tone that Gibbs had walked in on. It wasn't meant to be and she hoped that Tony didn't think she was going to do something really stupid.

"I know that you're angry at us, Claire." Tony started before she could continue.

But Claire did the same to him right back as she turned on the couch to face him. "I'm not angry at you guys," she protested. "I'm embarrassed." she admitted.

"You have nothing-"

Claire scoffed, "I have everything to be embarrassed about, Tony!"

"We all-"

"When Gibbs did the fallow-up, do you know what he asked about?" she didn't wait, "My mental health. Because my father left 'cause of his beliefs, and my mother couldn't cope. So what does that say about me?"

"Claire-" Tony tried, a hand on her knee.

But Claire was on a roll now, she'd already started and wasn't going to stop until it was all out there, again. "My mother made me go to therapy, everyone thinks that my father killed our neighbours. My father isn't a murderer and he isn't a liar, he's a man of God; more of a Priest than most." she paused long enough for breath. "Sure, I may have done a few questionable things in college, but that shouldn't reflect on me now."

"Questionable things?" Tony asked, "Like-like what?" his fingers trailed up her thigh from her knee, because he was a man after all, and words like that sent his mind to places like this.

Claire looked down at his hand, and despite the complex conversation she was trying to have, couldn't help the twitch of her lips. "Tony,"

Tony shook his head. "Sorry," but he didn't move his hand. "We haven't had sex in a week."

"I am aware, believe me." she deadpanned.

"Right. Look," he told her, her latest comment on the back burner for now. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about. We all have things in our past that we don't blurt out to everyone, but they are what made us who we are today. My mother was an alcoholic and died when I was eight. My father was a neglectful bastard, he once left me alone in a hotel room for two days when I was ten. My whole childhood was spent in boarding schools and summer camps; the only time my father paid any attention to me was when he did his war re-enactments and made me carry the shit bucket."

"Shit, Tony." Claire breathed, looking at him.

"See? Every childhood has its issues," Tony told her. "And think of it this way," his other hand cupped her cheek. "If none of those things happened, we wouldn't be here, together, today." he leaned forward and kissed the corner of mouth. "I love you, Claire. And nothing from your past could ever change our future together."

Claire didn't think that that would be true if Tony ever found out the real-real truth, but right now, it was true. And no matter what happened, she did want the two of them to last. "You're so sweet, Tony. Even if you try and hide it."

"You flatter me." he smirked. "But if you tell anyone..."

"What? You gonna with-hold sex, DiNozzo?" she challenged.

"No," Tony told her, both of his hands on her hips. "I'll give you sex, it just won't be that good." he yanked her hips so that she was now lying flat on the couch, and she let out a yelp of surprise.

"I don't mean to boost your ego here," she told him, "But I don't think that your genes allow you to do sex bad."

"Well, Novak, I'd usually take that as a challenge, but I don't think that I want that win under my belt." Tony told her, laying over top of her.

"You sound confident,"

"I am,"

"Then prove it," Claire told him, reaching up and pulling his head down until their lips met.

_tbc!_


	14. Chapter 14: Part 1

**a/n: Tag: Swak. Multiple spoilers, as well as lines taken from episode.**

**Chapter Summary: **Tony opens a letter and Claire calls in some supernatural re-enforcments.

**Invitation: Love Lost, Love Won -pt.1**

Tony graoned. "What're you doing?" he mumbled, his eyes still closed as Claire was bouncing around on the other side of the bed.

"I have to go," she told him, her side of the bed still jumping.

"Work?" he asked, groggly. "I didn't hear your phone."

Claire smirked. "It's on vibrate,"

"I didn't feel it,"

Claire paused and looked over her shoulder at Tony. "I did."

Tony's eyes cracked at that, a smirk playing across his lips. "And I would love to feel you," he reached across the bed and pulled her back onto him. Claire already had on a long sleeve, and a pair of jeans, she'd just finished with her socks.

"It's five in the morning, Tony." she laughed, rolling onto her side, her elbow next to his ribs and her other hand next to his head on the pillow.

"It can wait," he told her, glancing at her lips.

Claire giggled and shook her head, but ducked it so she caught his lips. "That's all you're gonna get," she told him and pushed off. He tried to pull her back, but she had the advantage of being awake for twenty minutes. "I have to go meet Kate, before I go to HQ."

Tony rolled over with a grunt. "I wanna ask..."

"But you're not going to," she stood from the bed and turned to him.

"Just a quicky," he told her.

"Tony!"

"Come on," he pouted. "Do you're boyfriend a solid."

"You serious right now? Because of the hour, I'm going to put that comment on you morning visitor." Claire said. "But because you actaully said that to me, you can take car of it yourself." she left their bedroom.

"Fine. But I'll be thinking about you the whole time!" he called to her.

"You better!" she yelled back.

Fantasy was the next best thing.

"Wow," Tony voiced when he came out of the elevator and saw the condition that Kate was in. "What'd you do all night, sake-bombing?"

Kate looked at him as they walked to the bullpen, blowing her nose. "It's a cold, Tony." she looked at him, "Sake-bombing?"

"Is that why Claire came over, what did you do?" he asked her, and she looked at him in disgust. "Oh, come on, Kate. We're both adults here,"

"Two of us," she agreed, glancing at Tim.

Tony chucked his bag behind his desk, but fallowed Kate to hers. "You can't tell me you don't know what sake-bombing is."

Kate stopped at her desk, wiping her nose. "I think I just did. Forget it," she shook her head. "I don't want to know." she went behind her desk.

But Tony went on to explain it anyway. Kate was the reason why he didn't get any this morning, and he was going to make her pay. "You take a cup of hot sake, you drop it in a beer, you toss it back and _ka-boosh!"_ he mimed for her.

"Sake-bombing," Kate winced and smiled, nodding along, just so he would leave her alone.

"Great for a cold," Tony agreed.

It was bad enough that she had a cold and had to come into work, and then Claire and remedies that she was never going to take because they were gross back in high school and they were still gross now. "I'll stick to honey and hot tea," she told him, "thanks."

"McGee," Tony turned to the Probie, who's hands were full of mail. "Kate's never been sake-bombing."

"Yeah," Tim nodded as he placed a few letters on Gibbs' desk. "I don't think I have either."

Tony sighed. "I work with a pair of wankers," he noted.

"And you make three, DiNozzo." Gibbs walked passed his Senior Agent, coffee in hand to his desk.

"Morning, boss." Tony shot out, glad that he didn't get smacked this early in the morning.

"Morning," Kate greeted him, sniffing, her nose clearly stuffed.

Gibbs stopped and turned to her. "Cold or flu?" he asked.

"No flu, just a cold." Kate reassured him. "And don't worry, I'll sneeze into my tissues." Gibbs nodded and sat at his desk. "Unlike some people," she glared at Tony.

"I have allergies, Kate." he defended himself.

"Never had allergies," Gibbs told them. "Never had a cold."

"Never had a cold?" Kate asked in disbelief, looking at the guys.

"Nope, never had the flue either."

"Why do I believe that?" she whispered to Tony and Tim.

Tony blocked his mouth with the stack of letters that Tim handed him and leaned down to Kate. "If you were a bug, would you bite Gibbs?"

Kate chuckled.

"Todd," Claire growled as she rounded on her friend's desk. "You ran away from me."

Kate winced. "I didn't run," she told her. "Just, walked, really, really fast."

Claire scoffed. "You ran to your car, drove away. Faster than Agent Gibbs." she noted, and Gibbs glanced at her. "Now drink this," she said, holding out a Styrofoam cup to her.

Kate clearly paled at the sight of it, and shoved her chair back as far as it would go as Claire set the cup on her desk. "Get that away from me,"

"What's that?" Tim asked.

"Go ahead," Kate told him. "Take a sniff. Hopefully, you'll die before the scent of it seeps into your brain forever."

"Hm." Tony voiced, looking between Claire and Kate. He reached for the cup and pulled the lid off, looking at the liquid inside. It wasn't coffee, it looked more like soup.

"Got a remedy, Novak?" Gibbs said.

Claire looked at him and smirked. "Doesn't everybody?"

Gibbs chuckled and shook his head, clicking on his computer.

"Ugh," Tony gagged visibly, jerking the cup from his nose. He doubled over, trying to hold the cup as far from his as possible. "Probie, take it, take it." he put it in Tim's general direction, but after seeing a reaction like that, there was no way he was touching it.

"Don't be a baby, Tony." Claire told him, taking the cup from him before he spilled it and put the lid back on.

"That good, huh?" Gibbs nodded and Claire grinned at him again. "Family recipe?"

"Nope," Claire shook her head. "Made it myself."

"I'm not taking it," Kate said again, glaring as Claire put the cup back on her desk.

"She didn't last time, and that's why she's sick again." Claire told Gibbs.

"You should take it," Gibbs told his Agent.

"I think I'll survive better, longer, if I don't." Kate said.

"Suit yourself," Claire crossed her arms, "but don't blame me when snot comes from places that aren't your nose."

"Eww!"

"You should probably stick to tea," Tim told Kate, as he handed her, her mail. And continued to leaf through the pile of mail.

"I plan to," she agreed and Claire gave her a disappointed look.

"This one just says_ NCIS Special Agent._" Tim said in confusion, holding up a an envelope, sealed with a kiss.

Tony glanced at it and smirked; definitely time for some payback for this morning. "I think that's mine, McGee." he gripped the letter.

Tim held fast though. "Huh? How do you know?"

Tony yanked it from his grasp and flipped it around. "I recognize the lips." he backed to his desk.

"Oh! You do, do you?" Claire cleared her throat, a brow raised as she looked at Tony, her arms crossed over her chest

"Oh, you did it now." Kate sung, sounding very nasal.

Tony leaned against his desk. "Well, yeah. There were women before you,"

"I hope you like the couch, DiNozzo." Kate smirked.

"Go ahead," Claire told him, coming next to him and leaning a hip against his desk, her arms still crossed over her chest. "Open it." she dared.

"I am," he told her.

Tim shook his head and went back to his desk, whatever Claire dished out, was deserved. Tony cut open one of the sides with an opener and glanced at Claire before he pinched the sides, opening it. Claire watched as he puffed his cheeks out to blow, and she slapped a hand over his mouth. But it was too late, the breath already left his lips. White power puffed from the envelope and showered down. Tony was wide-eyed as he looked down at the envelope.

The team was slow in moving, but Gibbs took action as he jumped up onto his desk and whistled harshly. Everyone in the office stopped and looked at him. "We have opened an letter with white power, use the south-east corridor to the holding room. You all know the drill,"

"I am going to _kill_ you, Tony." Claire hissed at him.

Tony slowly twisted around, Claire's hand still over his mouth and nose as he dropped the letter on his desk.

"Claire!" Kate tossed her friend a water bottle and grabbed her phone, hitting the emergency button. "Letter opened in Special Agent Gibbs' office, dispersed a fine white power. Initiating bio-attack procedures. Third floor is evacuating." she hung up and dodged around Claire and Tony, and grabbed a panicked, nervous Tim.

Claire finally let go of Tony's face as he grabbed his trash can and put it on his desk, breathing as less as possible. She twisted the cap off the bottle and carefully poured it over Tony's hands over the can and then his head.

"McGee, you up on procedure?" Gibbs said, watching Tony and Claire.

"Y-yeah, uh, we shower, burn our clothes, get our blood tested," He tore his gaze from the couple and glanced at Gibbs. "Nobody leaves the building until the substance is identified except..." he trailed off as he backed up with Kate and glanced at Tony.

"Lucky me," Tony voiced, where Claire was still carefully pouring water on him. "I win a free trip to Bethesda to be a pin cushion."

"And Claire," Kate said, glancing at Gibbs.

"I'm fine," Claire said, stopping.

"You were right next to him," Tim said.

"They're right," Tony said, looking at her through the water in his eyes.

"It wasn't in my face," Claire glared at him.

"Novak," Gibbs barked, "You too."

Claire gritted her teeth and handed the water to Tony, and he gave her the same treatment. "I'm so glad that I woke up this morning," she muttered.

"They shut the air off," Kate voiced. "Let's hit the showers." patting Tim's shoulder and lead him along.

"I thought you'd never ask." Tony said. "Come on, Claire." Tony grabbed her hand and led her along. "Sorry, boss." he muttered as they passed Gibbs.

Gibbs watched them go, peeved at himself for not paying more attention to his team.

They hit the showers. Tim was in the first stall, then Kate, Tony, Claire and lastly, Gibbs.

"Who would send me a letter with anthrax?" Tony called through the spray.

"Pick a girl, Tony." Kate told him. "Any girl."

"I wish I could be on that list." Claire growled, at him, glaring at the wall that separated them as the warm spray soaked her hair, and she lathered her scrubby with disinfectant soap.

"That's not funny," Tony told them.

"I know," Kate agreed, suds covering her skin.

"I'm gonna kill you, Tony." Clair answered instead.

"Claire," Tony sighed, hurt as he started to scrub himself down.

"I know, this is serious," Claire said.

"Exactly." Tony glowered, "This very instant someone is incinerating my Armani Gilda Azania suit, my Armani tie, my Dolchache-avana shirt and my Gnocchi shoes."

Kate scrunched up her face and glanced at the wall that separated them in disbelief. Of course that was what he was most upset about, not his own health or Claire's, but instead his stupid clothes!

"You know, it might not be anthrax." Tim finally spoke up, scrubbing down like the others, lathered in suds.

"Thank you, Probie!" Tony called over, glad someone was on his side.

"Yeah, I mean it could be Small Pox, Bubonic Plague, Calera-" Tim started to list off, his face turned from the spray.

"Probie!" Tony snapped, freezing for a second.

Tim froze for an instant and winced at his slip. "Foot powder, face powder... talcum power." he quickly shot off.

Tony's arm shot into the air. "Honey dust!" he blurted, grinning.

"Tony!" Claire shouted in turn, in protest.

"Honey dust?" Tim asked in confusion.

"Honey dust," Tony said in agreement. "I give it to girls."

"_Tony!" _Claire barked. "Shut up..."

There was silence and he could feel the glare of disgust coming from Kate in the stall next to his; knowing that it upset her when he said 'girls'. "Women," Tony corrected. "Sorry, Kate; women. Or woman. Right, Claire?"

"I'm going to kill you, DiNozzo." Claire repeated through her teeth.

"It's very sensuous," he told Tim. "You apply it with a feather."

Kate laughed, rubbing her ribs with the cloth. "You don't use the whole chicken?" she said with sarcasm. Tony just shook his head in answer, her humour was weird.

"Never heard of honey dust," Tim admitted.

"That's because your mother raised you to respect women, McGee." Kate reassured him.

"It makes a woman's skin feel silky smooth," Gibbs finally chimed in because the conversation was going to lead into a big fight, his foot planted on the stall's wall that separated him and Claire as he scrubbed his leg with the loofah. "When kissed, it tastes like honey." The only sound was the running showers as the four Agents peeked out from their stalls, and looked at Gibbs'. "Got a box of Honey Dust last Christmas," he filled the silence. "No card." he concluded.

"Ah," Tony popped back into his stall a winced in place. That had to of been a mix-up. "Think the post office screwed up, boss. Someone else got your bottle of Jack, while you got their Honey Dust."

"Your just jealous, DiNozzo." Claire called.

"I don't get jealous!" Tony fired back with a glower.

"Hey!" Kate interrupted what she knew was going to be an argument. "Doesn't the post office irradiate our mail?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's right." Tim jumped in readily. "All Federal mail is funnelled through the Ion-B facility in Bridge Port, New Jersey. If it has DNA, it dies."

"The diseases that you named, they-they had DNA?" Tony asked with hope, scrubbing his front.

"They do!" Tim agreed.

"Aw, you should have let him squirm." Kate said. "You hear that, Claire?"

"Got it!" she called back.

Tony laughed. "Then it's no worries!"

"When we're done, I'm still going to kill you, Tony." Claire said.

"Me too," Kate agreed.

"Unless the post office screwed up again." Gibbs told them. Scrubbing his head while he dashed the couple's hope.

They were finally done in the showers and were forced to wear blue jumpsuits. They were escorted to Ducky's autopsy. He took the teams blood. Tim was unable sit and instead he paced around the table that Tony, Claire and Kate sat on, side by side and in that order. Ducky was currently taking blood from Gibbs the next table over.

"You should have given the letter to me, McGee." Gibbs scolded his youngest Agent softly, as Ducky undid the band from around his arm, finished taking a sample of his blood.

"I know, boss." Tim paced in front him in shame.

"It's not McGee's fault," Kate defended her friend. "Tony snatched it out of his hand." she glared passed Claire and at Tony.

"So, now it's my bad?" Tony demanded, glaring back as he leaned back on the table with his hands.

"Yes," Claire agreed, staring straight ahead. Her mind moving rapid on how she could fix this.

"You did grab it, Tony." Tim spoke up.

"Lame excuse, Probie." Tony turned to him. "You should've stopped me."

"You can't blame Tim," Claire looked at Tony. "You only grabbed it because you were pissed at me."

"That's, not true." Tony protested.

"It is. And it was stupid." she told him. "Who opens a letter like that anyway?" she said rhetorically, angrly. "Haven't you seen the movies? You never open a letter like that,"

Tony sat up. "In what movie has that ever happened?" he demanded

"It doesn't matter what movie! The point is that it can happen, so you don't." Claire shot back.

"Are you guys seriously having a fight right now?" Kate interrupted.

"_Yes!"_ they told her and she made a face at them. But despite that, they were still holding hands.

"Everybody shut up!" Gibbs barked and they zipped their lips. He jumped from the autopsy table and over to one of the many shelves, grabbing a plastic face shield a plastic bag with a pair of scrubs in and marched over to the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ducky demanded, shuffling after him.

"Find out who sent the letter," Gibbs told him, trying to dodge around the doctor.

"Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh." Ducky shook his head, feet planted in place as he blocked Gibbs' way. "You cannot leave autopsy, it's negative pressure so that air-born pathogens can't contaminate the rest of the building."

"Ducky," Gibbs growled, "I have been scrubbed, sanitised... for all I know, sterilized. I have an investigation to open."

The team watched them silently.

"I have a possible contagion to contain," Ducky told him in turn. "Until your blood test clears you, I cannot not permit you to leave this room." they had a small stare-down, but for something as big and as dangerous as this, the coroner was not going to back down.

Gibbs wasn't going to either- or he didn't want to. What he wanted to do was get out of here and find out who sent that letter and put his team in danger, so that he could end them painfully. But he also knew that infecting the rest of the building would screw that plan up. So he was about to sigh and turn back to his waiting team and Claire, when the door that lead to the garage hissed open. Gibbs turned as two men in orange jumpsuits and gas masks came in, the second one caring a black case.

"Who opened the envelope?" the first one said.

"He did," Tony instantly pointed to Tim.

Tim looked panicked as the two guys from control went straight to him. "It-it-it wasn't me!"

Claire gave Tony a Charlie-horse for his troubles. "Ow!" he said with real hurt, but got the message. He jumped off the table, still holding Claire's hand though. "Nah, it was me. I'm your pin cushion."

The two turned to him. "Did you inhale any powder?" the first guy asked.

Tony took a breath. "I may have," he admitted, and probably more if Claire hadn't slapped a hand over his mouth.

"We took blood," Ducky told them. "Jimmy?"

"Uh, yeah," Jimmy Palmer said in agreement. "Five vials of blood on ice, to go." the autopsy assistant handed a white container to the second guy, who then put it in his case.

Kate couldn't hold it any longer, she tried to because she didn't have any tissues on her, but she couldn't take the itch any longer. She sneezed explosively into her hands. The two guys from control spun to her. She sniffed and looked embarrassed. "It's a cold," she assured the guys in orange. "I had it before."

"Which makes you even more susceptible to air-born pathogens," Ducky told her. "You should go to the hospital as well."

"Oh, no-" Kate started, shaking her head and waving her hand.

"Kate," Gibbs ordered, "Play it safe, go with Tony."

"Heh." she scoffed. "If I have to go, then so does Clai-"

"Nope," Claire interrupted.

"Novak-" Gibbs looked at her.

Claire slid from the table and went straight to Gibbs, looking the bull right in his icy eyes. "I don't need to go."

"Don't make me,"

"Look at me," Claire told him evenly, "If you ever believed anything in your entire life, Gibbs, believe this. I am not infected, there is not a chance that I am. I can't tell you why, but you have to believe me that I am more use out here, than trapped there." she would have loved to tell him why, but with reminder with Kate's cold, and now this, she remember what happened when she was thirteen. Castiel the Angel had taken her as host, his essence had filled every cell in her body, and when he left her for her father, she now realized the fact that since that day, she'd never been sick; not when flu season came around, no summer colds, nothing. Having been taken by something as powerful as Cas, he must've left something in her. And right now, she was glad that those past events had happened.

Gibbs stared at her, into her big aqua eyes. Into her unblinking, unmoving, unfazed gaze. He dove right it, searching for doubt or deceit, anything. He wasn't even sure why he ever bothered, Claire had been right next to Tony, not even thirty cm away, but his gut told him to, and his gut had never been wrong so far, so he hoped that it wouldn't be this time. "Just those two," Gibbs told the guys in orange, not taking his eyes from Claire for a moment later.

"But, boss-!" Tony started in protest, and Kate too.

Gibbs looked at them.

"Fine," Kate sighed, jumping from the table. "How long are we going to have to stay in isolation?" she asked the first guy.

"At least over night," the guy told her.

Kate let out a long suffering sigh, and a hard glower covered her face.

"Do you have double beds?" Tony asked the first guy. "'cause I hate when you get that crease when you push the two together-"

Gibbs smacked his Agent in the back of the head with the bag of scrubs.

Tony looked at him. "If I get anthrax, how bad are you going to feel about that?"

"Not as bad as you, DiNozzo."

Tony's expression turned sour.

Claire went to him. "You're going to be fine, Tony. Promise," she lightly slapped his cheek. "And be nice to Kate." she told him.

Tony looked at her. "I love you,"

"I love you, too, Tony." Claire told him. "But, seriously, if you get sick, I'll kill... the both of you." she looked at Kate.

"Let's go," the guy said, going back to the door that the two of them came in through.

Kate and Tony fallowed him.

"I'm warning you, DiNozzo." Kate growled. "I'm not feeling well, okay."

"You need to relax." Tony told her. "And maybe you should have drank that toxic waist that Claire gave you, then maybe you would feel better."

"Hah, don't temp me!"

"Tempt you to what, Kate?"

"Do you like where you are, DiNozzo?" Kate asked through clenched teeth. "Because there's something between your legs that I can kick up to your throat." she threatened as they when out the door, it closing and cutting the rest of their argument off.

Gibbs let out a hard breath and threw the mask and scrubs onto the empty autopsy table. He was like a caged lion. They got Abby on video, down in her lab. She had contained the envelope and taken a two samples of the powder and put one in the masspectrameter and the other to a guy to be flown and tested in Atlanta.

"What was the powder, Abby?" Gibbs asked.

"White, with a hint of tan." Abby answered.

"Abs," he growled.

"Well, that's all I know until my baby speaks to me." she told him. "I'm auto-sampling for anthrax, plague, Calera- all those nasty little bio buggers."

"How long?"

"Couple hours,"

"I thought that you said these tests were fast?"

"It's not a pregnancy test, Gibbs."

Gibbs sighed and turned away.

Tim looked uncomfortable. "Um, boss?"

"What, McGee?" Gibbs turned to him.

Tim glanced at Claire. "Was-was it a good idea not to make Claire go with Tony and Kate?" he asked timidly.

"McGee, it's fine."

"B-but she was right next to Tony."

"I know, now leave it."

Tim glanced between Gibbs and Claire, the latter of which gave him a soft and reassuring smile. "Okay, boss." and he left it alone, he didn't understand it, but if this was Gibbs' gut, he wasn't going to touch it.

Ducky broke out of quarantine first because he wasn't infected or exposed, but he had shower like the rest of them before he was able to make it down to Abby's lab. It wasn't long after that that Gibbs was going to kill everyone, so he and Tim suited up, not breaking quarantine, and headed to the lab too. That left Claire. Tim glanced back at her in concern from inside his suit.

"I'm fine, Tim." Claire told her friend. "Just find the asshole who did this, okay?"

Tim nodded and then he and Gibbs were gone, leaving her in the autopsy lab.

Claire was fine with that because she needed to be alone in order to do this. She had sworn that she wanted nothing to do with them, and maybe she was a hypocrite for this, but Tony could be- no, she knew- was dying. And that was the only reason she was doing this. She slide down onto her knees, her hands clasped. She was going to pray... to Castiel. The Angel owed her, he did; he promised to protect her from harm. Technically, this was harm. If Tony died, then she would be harmed by heartbreak.

So Claire prayed to the Angel that took her father away, and destroyed her mother. Prayed to the Angel to save her the love of her life, her first true love. That he would do this one thing for her, even though she hated him for what he did. She prayed... for love.

_tbc! in the next chapter._


	15. Chapter 15: Part 2

**a/n: Tag: Swak. Multiple spoilers, as well as lines taken from episode. Special appear****a****nce by our beloved rouge Angel, note that you'll know it when you read it. This part will be alternate, as in there was no suicide clause with the strain.**

**Chapter Summary: **Tony and Kate are stuck in quarantine.

**Invitation: Love Lost, Love Won -pt.2**

Tony and Kate were led from the autopsy to the garage, and then loaded into a van. No person was insight other than the two team members, the two guys from control and another masked man behind the wheel. They were kept in total seclusion to Bethesda, then ushered into the bio-control area of the hospital with warning signs and hazardous pictures painted in bright orange. It wasn't encouraging at all. They took the blood to be tested in the labs, and Tony and Kate had to shower again and were given a pair of more comfortable, two-piece, blue pyjamas. They got checked over, and then they had to pee in a cup.

Something that Kate felt was rather unnecessary and embarrassing. She avoid Tony's gaze as she walked from the bathroom with a cup of her urine and handed it off to one of the doctor's, who handed it off to another guy in a mask with a clipboard.

"You should drink more water," Tony told her and Kate looked at him in disgust.

"Tony,"

"Your urine's too dark."

"I have a cold," she hissed. "I would say that I can't believe you're even commenting on that, but then again, I know you... And _ew."_

Tony smirked widely at her. So he was nervous, and doing this made whatever was going down, less nerve wracking. His mind was still on Claire, and why the hell Gibbs hadn't made her come too when she had been standing right next to him. It didn't maker sense.

"Neither can I," the doctor who handed off her sample said, turning back to the pair. "Dr. Brad Pitt," he greeted them from behind his mask. Tony looked at him with raised brows, but Kate's expression was much different, more like; _damn!_ "Yes, it's my real name. And no, I'm not related to _that_ Brad Pitt," he looked at Kate, "Wish we were, would love to me Angelina Jolee." he chuckled as he snapped at the band on his gloves.

Kate chuckle back and Tony looked at her. Brad led the two of them to double doors that were marked: _Biohazard __Laboratory__._

Tony leaned towards Kate as they followed the doctor. "If I said what he said you would-" Kate elbowed him in the gut. Tony grunted, "You would elbow me."

"Shut up, DiNozzo." Kate hissed at him. "You should be glad."

"I am." Tony said softly. Kate looked at him. "I'd rather have you here, than Claire."

Kate knew what he meant, even though it sounded the way that it was. She was glad that she was here instead of Claire as well, but worried nonetheless, for all their sakes. "Me too," they looked at each other for what seemed like a long moment but for what was only a second, and tore their gazes away and back to Brad.

"It's not the four seasons, but hopefully you're not staying too long." Brad said. The room was big, but the thing that drew the Agents attention was the big glass room the sat in the middle. Brad walked over to it, and a set of doors hissed open. He stepped in and the pair followed, Tony shuffled a circle to take in his surroundings as the doors shut automatically, and a little light above turned red. There was a more distinct hissing as blue lights overhead snapped on.

"Negative pressure?" Kate asked, remembering what Ducky had said.

"Mm-Hm." Brad agreed, his hands clasped in front of it as he waited. "Air can flow in, but not out." above the other door, the light overhead turned from red to green, and the doors slid open. They walked into the room, four hospital beds in parallel were it, with big light sources overhead that turned the same blue when they came in, and another man dressed all in white, with a lab coat, gloves and a mask covering his face. "This Lieutenant Cas Winchester, your on-duty nurse tonight."

Cas was tall and lankly, he had black hair with a slight curl at the end, and eyes that were like water. "Hello," he greeted Tony and Kate.

"You're a male nurse?" Tony grinned, and Kate glared at him.

But Cas just simply said a gravely, "Yes." The reason that he was here, was because Claire prayed to him. Something that the woman hadn't done since the first year that he had taken Jimmy. Castiel had told Dean of her voice, and asked what he should do; the Hunter's answer was immediate. Cas did have the knowledge to do this, be this male nurse that Tony had spoken of, he just had to put it to social use- without being noticed.

"As a precaution I'm starting you both on a _prophylaxis _with _streptomycin_." Brad informed, and Cas handed each of them a paper cup with water, and another smaller paper cup with the pills from the tray that he was holding.

Tony chuckled lightly. "_Prophylaxis_."

Kate shook her head as she swallowed her pills. "_Prophylaxis_ is used in the prevention of diseases, DiNozzo."

"That's why I use 'em." he said, and tossed back his pills.

Cas could help but look at him in confusion, how could it be humour-ess in that application? "You may choose any sleeping accommodations," he informed the pair.

"Thank you," Kate said as she went to the end, claiming the farthest bed.

Tony shuffled after her though, and smirked as he tried to claim the one next to her; she glared at him. It was bad enough she had to be stuck in here with him, but that close? But Brad saved her… her night in sterilized armour.

"It is prudent that you keep some separation," the doctor informed, "In case one of you has been infected."

"Thank you, doctor." Kate chirped with a smile, jumping up onto her bed.

Tony glowered and slithered off his bed and to the far end.

"Brad, we're informal here." Brad told Kate.

"Kate," she smiled at him, biting her lip as he walked back to the other side.

Tony watched with a sickened look, was he really going to have to be stuck in here with the two of them, and not have a female nurse of his own. Nope, he wouldn't let her live this one down. If she was going to have fun with that, he was going to have fun with this. He jumped on the bed, his legs hanging off either side. "Ahem. These things sun lamps, Brad?"

"UV," Brad told him. "Kills the bacteria in the air... Although, I can arrange for a sun lamp, if you wish."

"Oh, not for me." Tony shook his head. He cocked it Kate, "It's for Kate."

"What?" Kate asked in confusion, still on the edge of her bed.

"Yeah, a little nude sun-bathing might get ride of those tan lines." he smirked.

Kate glared at him. "I'm telling Claire," she threatened.

"Go ahead," Tony said. "You wouldn't believe the things that she tells me about you from college."

"You're lying."

"Am I?" he smirked.

"Doctor?" Kate looked at Brad. "Could you put him to sleep, please?"

Brad smiled from behind his mask and he followed Cas out of quarantine. The Lieutenant was assigned to him last minute, his usual associate, Emma Ewing, had gotten a cold, just as Kate.

It'd probably only been an hour, but it felt like more. The slippers had come off, and now they were reclined back. There was nothing to do, and the lights were hard to look at. Tony had resorted to snapping his fingers, being as annoying as ever, and Kate wanted back to stomp over there an break a finger, just one would do. He would be to scared to even try after that, and she would be happy, even if Claire would be pissed that she broke her boyfriend's finger, and Gibbs would probably feel the same, but for a different reason.

"You know what this feels like?" Tony asked her, stopping his action for a moment.

Kate picked at her nails. "I'm not going to ask, but you're going to tell me anyway."

"Like I'm the King of Cool," he told her anyway, just as she had predicted.

"Elvis?" Kate got sucked in anyway, too.

"Elvis was the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Travolta," he corrected her. "Is the King of Cool."

"Well, thanks for the clarification." Kate said with sarcasm.

Tony wiggled his feet that were propped up on the end of his bed. "And do you know why I feel like Travolta?" he asked despite her tone; he needed to talk because seriously, what else was there? And anyway, he hated the silence, it reminded him of his childhood.

"I feel a movie coming on." she said with dread.

"_The Boy In The Plastic Bubble_." he told her; Kate sighed and closed her eyes in defeat. Tony continued to explain, "Travolta play's this boy born with an immune deficiency- this is before Aids- he lives in this giant plastic bubble."

"Oh! Like that one with that hot guy; what was his name?" Kate said, she could do this, too, and she knew that it would piss Tony off. "Jake Gyllenhaal!"

She watched as Tony's head snapped around to her and he looked physically affronted at the comparison. "Don't you dare even compare those two; that was a horrible remake and you know it!"

She rolled her eyes. "Tony, Tony, please..." she groaned, rolling onto her side to face him. "We're stuck here, can we just make a pact?" she begged him. "Until we're out, I won't make fun of the _stupid _things you say, and you won't make me listen to anymore of you film scenarios… Deal?"

Tony thought about it for a second, scratching his chin. If he couldn't talk to her, then what else could he do in this box? He looked at the Nurse Cas, who was outside the glass structure, sitting at a station that monitored them. He wasn't so sure about the guy, he had said literally only eight words since they had gotten here, so he hadn't gotten a feel. But his eyes reminded him of Claire's wide, deep, aqua ones. "Deal." he said finally, realizing a hole in this verbal contract.

Kate breathed in relief and rolled back onto her back. She would relish this, and even drink that toxic concoction that Claire and Gibbs called a cold cure; the only thing that it would do, she was sure, would scar her for life. But if Tony actually went through with this, she would do it, the whole thing, with minimal complaint.

Tony smiled greatly, he was going to love doing this. It would annoy Kate, fill the buzzing silence, and keep his mind off whether Claire was sick or not. He jerked his arms up and linked his fingers back behind his head, taking a refreshed breath. "Nurse Cas," he called, and the other man behind the desk look up at him with a piercing gaze. "You ever watch the movies?" he inquired, and heard Kate's cursed breath from the other side of the room, realizing her mistake.

"I have had no need, nor the time to do so." Cas answered him.

Tony raised his brows at that, he supposed being in the Navy wouldn't give the man such time, but that was no excuse. "Well, let me educate you some."

Cas nodded. Usually Dean, Sam or Bobby were such ones that educated him on Earthly things, but a new source couldn't do harm. And this may give him an opportunity to delve into Tony's soul, and do as much as he could, per Claire's prayer.

"Okay, so Boy in the Bubble; Travolta." Tony summarized. "Ralph Belaming plays the doctor in the film, now Ralph Belaming was this great old-time actor; he was in _His Girl Friday_ with Kerry Brant and Roslyn Russell..."

Kate ground her teeth and pulled the edges of her thick pillow up to cover her ears, trying to drowned Tony's droning voice out.

Cas listened, his eyes flicking to Kate before going back to Tony. The Angel could tell that these two were the right persons; he could feel Claire around them. He could feel her essence on them because of his short time with Claire as his Vessel. Castiel could tell that Claire had been around Kate longer, but could also tell that she was more intimate with Tony. These two were the ones that he needed to save, though he was unsure of the level of healing he could do now that he was cut off from Heaven. He had healed Dean enough times, but those were all external, physical injuries, what Tony and Kate may have was completely different. And from a distance such as this, he was unable to tell, unless he was touching them, that always was the best, and most thorough way. But he couldn't just flash in there, wings exposed. He had to tread lightly, like Dean had told him, but don't wait to make a move until it was too late. Such things were confusing.

Talking to Cas had lost it's charm, and it was starting to get uncomfortable laying still on these beds. Tony would have loved to use this time to catch up on some much needed sleep, but with the cloud of anthrax and plague over his head, it wasn't a walk in the park; he knew Kate felt the same, even though her back was turned to him. That was why he found himself on his knees, on the bed, his face barely inches from the overhead UV light.

"You think they really zap bugs?" he asked her, because they really did look like those bug zapper cages that people have outside of their house. He didn't think they actually did, though, he just needed to chat, out of boredom, not fear.

"What?" Kate asked him.

"These blue lights," he said.

Kate couldn't believe it, even for Tony... "Are you serious?" she really wanted to know, he couldn't be that much of an idiot.

"Ever hear of a Placebo, Kate?"

Now Kate rolled over to face him, shaking her head as she saw him. This couldn't be true. "Tony, Placebos are administrated for psychological effect." she sat up on her elbows.

"Precisely," he held up a finger like a light bulb. "How do you know that these lamps aren't just there to make us _think_ that they're helping us? Hm?" he looked at her.

"Maybe they're there to kill whatever bugs _we_ breath into the air!" she told him in a condescending and pissed tone, jerking back onto her back and turning away from him.

Tony fell back and leaned up onto his elbow, still facing her, his head at the foot of the bed. "But then you should have just drank that toxic stuff of Claire's and then they wouldn't be needed." she didn't take the bait. "You may have a point." he agreed finally.

Kate was barely able to hold back the _duh!_ There was a beat of silence before Kate said, "You're scared, aren't you?"

Tony scoffed, maybe a little to quick, "Kate, come on. Me, Afraid? You ever seen me afraid?" he asked her.

"Well, not when the danger is something that you can confront." Kate answered him truthfully, and Tony slowly sat up as he listened to her. "But all we can do here... is lie around and wait, hope that we're not infected." she looked over her shoulder at him, "And you're not alone anymore, you have Claire now."

Tony looked at her, and swallowed slowly. He didn't want to think about that, what would happen if he was infected and what kind of effect that that might have on his Claire. "Now who's afraid?" he said to her, trying to turn the attention and dissection away from him.

"Anyone with half a brain-" she noted, but stopped when it came right into her hands. She chuckled, "I take that back, you're not afraid." she turned from him.

Tony didn't answer, but instead sighed silently. Because he was afraid, and he just wanted this to be over, to hold Claire, to be back home, and not be fighting, for her not to be upset with him. He didn't like it under these lights, to be away from her. It was getting hot and he wiped away the sweat that had collected on his forehead. He hated this.

Hours had passed and Tony couldn't sit up an longer, he was too tired. He tucked himself under the blanket, getting comfy, his head sinking in the huge pillow. The other lamps were shut down, except for his and Kate's. Brad and come in and was hooking up an IV to his arm. He was hungry, hadn't eaten breakfast this morning, surprised that he didn't have to go to the bathroom yet, either.

"Late time snack, Brad?" he asked.

"Hm. IV drip increases the efficacy of _streptomycin."_ Brad told him, taping down the lead.

Castiel was checking Tony's heart and blood pressure like he had seen on Dean's favourite TV show (_Dr. Sexy MD)_, but that was not his main focus. Brad had informed him on the fact that Tony was indeed infected, now all Cas had to do, was confirm or deny it. And this gaze him the opportunity. He could feel it inside of Tony, the wrongness of the Plague. Cas had been born before this sickness happened, but his father had not allowed him to descend as it was happening, the Humans had to fight this themselves, to build protection from it. They hadn't succeeded very well. Tony was not going too either.

"You learn efficacy at Harvard?" Tony asked, smiling.

"Michigan," Brad corrected.

Tony paused. "It can't be, it's too weird."

"What? You a Wolverine too?" he fixed the lead.

"Buckeye!"

This time Brad paused, he looked down at Tony. "Wait! You're _that _DiNozzo? '92, Columbus."

"_We kissed out sisters_,"

Brad chuckled. "13-13 tie; you broke your leg..."

Cas went over to Kate, trying to process how he was going to heal Tony without the others realization. He took her wrist, checking her pulse. He didn't need to, he could look at her and tell. _Show is everything_, Dean told him.

"God," Kate scoffed and shook her head as she noticed Tony and Brad. "They're going to start bonging beers any second."

Cas looked at her, sure that was something that Dean would have liked to join in on, but believed that Kate should know of her friend's future. "He is ill," he stated, and she looked at him in shock. Dean would have scolded him for that delivery; Cas remembered now that humans beat around that _bush_ of theirs.

"What?" she demanded, forcing herself to not yell and she sat up on her elbows. It couldn't be true, not Tony.

"His blood is positive with the Plague," Cas repeated, though more humanly.

Kate looked back over at Tony, at the moment he was laughing with Brad, did he even know? If he did, why wasn't he panicking? She was, what if he died? What-what about Claire, she was _right_ next to him, did she have it too? "Positive?" she repeated, looking back at Cas.

"You are healthy," Castiel informed her in assurance. "Other than your current infection, that will soon be gone." he glanced over at Tony who was laughing still about the disgraceful beverage.

"So, doc, what do I got?" Tony asked him, having an IV put in couldn't be a good thing, not where he was.

Brad stopped laughing too as he looked down at Tony. He took a breath, "Bubonic Plague,"

"Plague?" he asked in disbelief. Brad nodded and Tony found himself chuckling at the prospect, it not really setting in. "Plague..."

"Yeah, Tony. Plague!" Kate barked from her side of the room, shooting out of her bed and passed Cas, stomping over to where Tony lie. Cas had no other choice but to follow. Tony looked at her. "Because only _you _would go and get a disease from the Dark Ages." she stopped at his side.

"I didn't put Plague in the letter," he protested.

"You opened it!" she yelled at him, pissed.

"Yeah, so I opened it." he agreed. "What are you so upset about? It's not like you're lying-" he stopped and looked wide eyed at Kate.

"Yeah," Kate let out a breath, a hand on her hip. Lying to him like this probably wasn't a good idea, because if she, who had been across the bullpen had gotten it, what are the chances that Claire didn't? But maybe it would guilt him into staying alive. "I'm infected too." she shot a meaningful glance a Brad not to rat her out.

Cas watched this, surprised that he hadn't blurted that she was, in fact, lying. But his time with the Winchesters, if anything, had taught him to see deeper than the truth.

"Oh, Kate," Tony whispered, his voice broken. "I'm so sorry."

"Well, you're going to be sorrier." she told him.

"No," Tony's breath stopped he looked at her, a soulful pain moving across his face and diving into his eyes. "Not Claire." his voice broke off.

Okay, so that was definitely the wrong choice and she winced at little. "No, remember what she said to Gibbs? He wouldn't have let her stay otherwise." she saw him let out a breath of relief. "Oh, no, no, just us. But I will make your life a living _hell," _ she hissed.

"How?" Tony looked sceptical. "You can't be any worse than Plague!"

Kate looked at him, her lips pinched. Giving him a stare that could be in the same category as Gibbs'.

"Maybe you can," he looked away. "Maybe she can." he chuckled to Brad and Cas, the latter of who was watching with a very intense stare.

"I'm warning you, DiNozzo." she growled.

"I-I recall some plague flicks," he threatened.

"I'll tell them all your relationship mishaps before Claire," she threatened right back.

They looked gazes.

"Hm. _Flesh and Blood_ comes to mind," he said. "Paul Hovan directed, Rudcar Howard stared."

"Tony thinks speaking Italian turns women on."

Cas intended to inform Dean of this new information.

"Obviously you've never seen Jamie Lee Curtis in _A Fish Called Wanda!_" Tony was sitting up, getting riled up.

"Kate!" Brad interrupted.

"I know," she looked at him, backing away. "I'm wanna start my IV." she turned and sneezed explosively into her hands.

Tony licked his lips. "If I catch your cold, I'm going to be very pissed." he told her without any heat.

Kate gave him the finger as she walked back to her bed.

Tony looked at Brad. "She'll be okay, right?" he asked him quietly.

Brad didn't say anything and instead looked at Cas, who just stared back.

Cas was over with Tony, as Brad was with Kate.

"Why are you doing this, Kate?" Brad asked, leaning on his hands on the side of her bed, not even bothering to put the IV in.

"Damned if I know, but I'm doing it. You're not going to tell Tony." she whispered, and glanced at Tony. But the instant she did, she knew that she was doing this for Claire, for her best-friend.

"I've already informed Dr. Mallard that you're not infected." he told her.

"Ducky will understand," Kate told him. "Claire and Gibbs might be the problem."

"No. The problem is that Tony can infect you."

"What, with all the UV lights and the air scrubbers. Or are they all just here for patient moral?" she said with sarcasm.

"I cannot permit you to stay. This strain had been genetically altered to resist antibiotics. You realize what that means?" he demanded.

Kate scoffed, "That the IV in Tony's arm is useless." Brad was silent. "So why do it?" she demanded back.

"Well, it can't hurt. An-and it gives him..."

"Hope," Kate finished for him, letting out a breath.

"Hey, Kate?" Tony called over to her, breathless. "Tell Dr. Brad about the... wet T-shirt contest that you won!"

Kate looked at him and smirked. "Why don't you tell Cas about that, uh, transsexual you tongued?"

Tony sucked in a breath and quickly looked at Cas, who stared back with those eyes. "That never happened, that never happened!" he gasped, clearing his throat before he started to cough.

The smile fell from Kate's face. After a moment, Tony stopped coughing. Cas stepped up and wiped the corner of his mouth, as he had seen nurses do on the TV, and found a red spot on the handkerchief and realized that he couldn't let this go on much longer, the infection in Tony's blood was getting worse.

"Thanks for giving me the cold, Kate." Tony growled at her, his breathing heavy.

Kate looked away and back at Brad, worried as hell. Gibbs better have find who did this, and yeah, she really wanted to hurt Tony at times- all the time. But she didn't know what she would so if he actually died.

Tony was coughing more now. It was getting worse, the plague was making him worse. His lips and nails were turning blue, a hard feat to notice with the lights. That was when Ducky arrived. Blood was at the corner of his lips. They X-rayed his lungs. His forehead was covered in swear and as Cas swiped it away, he took the opportunity to touch his forehead. The best that he could do, with his current position in Heaven or not in Heaven, he killed the infection in Tony's blood, the thing that made the Agent's blood bleed into his lungs. But that was all he could do, he couldn't take away the effects that it had had, just knew that Tony would not die. He answered Claire's prayer.

Tony looked up at Cas as he took his hand from his forehead, into the eyes that reminded him of Claire. His vision wasn't clear, but it was so weird, like, if the man's hair was blond, and he kept the mask on, he would be looking at Claire. But no one else had Claire eyes. God, this must be doing something to his mind. No one else had her eyes, except... her... father. He closed his eyes for a second, yes, he was loosing his mind, along with all his blood. God, Claire. He hadn't seen her since autopsy, hadn't touched her since than, he hadn't kissed her since that morning, hadn't made love to her since two days before that. And all that time, they'd been snipping at one another. It felt like forever since he told her: _I love you_; even though he told her before they parted. Tony opened his eyes again, hoping to look into _those_ eyes, the ones that where just like Claire's, her _father's_. But he wasn't there anymore.

He looked for Cas, but instead found Kate at his side.

"Im sorry I teased you with all those movies, K-Kate." his voice cut in and out with his breath, like those hick-ups you get when you've cried too hard.

"Teased?" she demanded lightly. " You tortured me, for years. All I've heard is John Wayne and Clint Eastwood... James Bond." she stuck that last one in there as a tease.

"James Bond... is a character..." he instantly returned, even in his condition. "Played by Shaun Connery... George Lazavey... Roger Moore... Pierce Brozden..." he cut off as Brad came out of nowhere and stuck a stethoscope to his chest. He looked at Kate in confusion. "Why are you wearing a mask?"

Kate glanced up at Brad before she looked back at Tony. "So you don't get my cold." she told him, picking at her mask.

"Why aren-n't you sick?"

"'Cause I'm stronger than you, Tony." Kate said.

"Are not?" he shook his head.

"Are too," she argued back softly.

Tony clearly his throat or he tried to, he could feel it in the back of his throat, that urge, that _need_ to cough. It was light at first, then he started to kinda choke. He felt Brad's hands behind his back. "Tony, sit up. Tony," Brad said, pushing the Agent up as Tony coughed harshly, gagging.

"You lied," was barely audible with the coughs.

"Kate! You need to leave, now." Brad ordered her.

Kate ran from containment, crying, into Ducky's arms. "You were brave to stay with him," he hugged her.

"He's dying, Ducky!" she sobbed.

Claire sat in the passenger seat as Gibbs drove to Bethesda, not even caring at how many times they were about to crash. She was silent, had stayed in autopsy the whole time, praying. Gibbs and Tim had found the woman who did this to Tony; she was going to jail and a bonus was that she was losing her mind and dying at the same time. She deserved it, Claire didn't care.

Gibbs had grabbed her and was a force to be reckoned with as he charged down the halls of the hospital. But somehow, when they reached the biohazard laboratory, she had ended up in front of him. She stopped short too, and Gibbs collided into her. But it wasn't because of what was on the other side of those doors, but instead who had just come through it. Even in the coat, and mask, Claire could recognize him. He was the Angel that had taken her father's body.

"Castiel?" she asked him.

Castiel glanced at Gibbs once, before he focused on his Vessel's daughter. "Claire," he said, in the gravely voice that was not Jimmy's. He took off the mask, feeling better without it.

Gibbs looked right at him. He'd seen that face before, those were the same eyes as hers. And that was the face of her father.

"Tony will survive." Castiel told her. "I was able to rid his blood of the infection, but he will have to heal the rest on his own."

"Thank you," Claire whispered.

"I had not known if I should have come," he told her. "You wished that we never come to you again previously. I asked Dean, and he informed me that I owed it to you."

"Thank you, Castiel." she repeated. Even though she would have wished for Tony to be as right as rain, this was better than anything she could have hoped for.

Cas nodded and them he was gone, vanished. There was silence and then Claire remembered the fact that Gibbs was right behind her; he'd seen the whole thing. She slowly looked over her shoulder and was met with his icy stare. She winced.

"I will tell you," she told him slowly, she had no other choice after this. "But not right now."

"I agree," he told her. And they would, he would make sure of it, he wanted answers and she was going to give them to her. But right now, his Agent was on his mind. So he left Claire standing there and burst through the doors.

Ducky was there, holding a crying Kate. "He's dying, Ducky." he heard her say.

"Aw, the hell he is." Gibbs growled as he charged by them. What he did understand about what just happened, is that Tony was no longer infected; he believed it with his gut, like he had about Claire miraculously not getting infected when she clearly should have. He went through the door and into the containment unit but was stopped.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa; who the hell are you?" Brad demanded.

"His boss," Gibbs answered. Then lied on the spot, "The bug had a suicide chain. It's dead, has been for almost an hour." Brad glanced at Tony and Gibbs went around to his bedside. He leaned down and whispered. "Tony, listen to me."

Tony's shoulders shook with the little cough.

"Are you listening?"

"I- I'm-I'm listening!" Tony choked out in grunts. "Boss."

"You will not die," Gibbs said. "Got that?" Tony didn't answer, his eyes closed, his breath harsh. Gibbs looked down at him, he knew that being soft was not going to get the job done. So he reached up, and tapped the top of Tony's head. The Senior Agent's eyes popped open. "I said, you... will not... die."

Tony blinked and swallowed convulsively. "I gotcha, boss."

"That's good," Gibbs smirked and stood.

Tony grabbed his arm and Gibbs looked back down at him. "C-Claire...?" he asked.

"She's fine, DiNozzo." Gibbs said.

"W-where is s-she?"

"I'm here... Tone." Claire said softly, stepping through the doors. She had been hesitant to do so, afraid of what she might see, that maybe Castiel hadn't succeeded. Especially when she saw Kate crying into Ducky's shoulder, but then she saw Tony grab Gibbs' arm. And she could breath again. She took Tony's hand.

His gaze shifted to her and he released Gibbs' arm, the older man left, but not before giving her a look. She wasn't going to dwell on that now though, not when she had Tony back in her arms.

"Y-you're okay?" he asked, looking her up and down.

"I am," she told him, a soft smile on her lips.

"G-good," he told her.

She combed her fingers through his sticky hair and he closed his eyes for a moment, relishing the touch of his Claire.

"Hm. And you're going to be fine," she told him.

"Now that you're here," he agreed.

She smiled back at him. "I have been told that I am the best medicine,"

"I was so scared that I would never be able to see you again," he said, his breath shallow. "That I would never be able to h-hold you."

"You don't have to worry about that now,"

Tony furrowed his brows for a second as he looked at her, an old smirk playing across his lips. "I almost died," he noted.

Claire looked down at him, a brow flicking upward. "Yes," she agreed with suspicion, wondering how he could already be up to something so soon.

"Because-"

"Because you were stupid and opened the letter like that." she finished for him.

"Because," he repeated. "You didn't have sex with me this morning."

"What?" she scoffed.

"That's right."

"Where are you going with this, Tony?"

"You know where." his breath hitched.

"Enlighten me anyway."

Tony smirked at her. "In order to prevent something like this form happening again, the only solution that comes to mind, is having sex every morning."

"What? We can't have sex every morning!"

"I almost died," he reminded her.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

Claire looked down at him, her face scrunched up. She couldn't believe this. "We can't have it every morning because if we do, we won't be able to function right at work."

"I'm that good," he gloated.

"Ha-ha. The best I can do is, every other day and twice one weekends." she told him. "Deal?"

Tony puffed out his cheeks, pretending to think about it.

Claire gave him a look. "This offer expires in three seconds."

"Fine!" Tony grabbed it. "Seal it with a kiss?" he waggled his brows.

"In all your bloody glory."

"You know you want to get some Tony-sugar!" he sung.

Claire shook her head. "Fine, but you never say _that_ again."

"Fine." he puckered his lips at her.

Claire couldn't help but roll her eyes as she leaned over him and kissed him breathless.

_tbc!_


	16. Chapter 16

**a/n: ****A week later.**

**Chapter Summary: **Tony gets out of the hospital.

**Invitation: **_**'M Good**_

Tony groaned dramatically as he slid form the hospital bed and pulled his pants up fully, and buttoned them.

"Seriously?" Claire asked, hands on her hips as she watched him slowly, and apparently painfully slid his socked feet into a pair of sneakers.

Tony looked up at her, his face straight. "I had the plague,"

"Oh!" Claire looked at him with clear false surprise. "I had no idea,"

Tony looked at her. "That's mean," he told her.

"_Had_ was the operative word, Tony." Claire told him plainly, her arms crossed over her chest. "You don't have it anymore."

"The operative word, is _just_; I _just _ had the plague." he told her as he slipped his shirt on over-head.

"Five days ago," she told him.

"It's the plague, Claire!" Tony protested to her, breathless as a nurse helped him down into the wheelchair.

Claire shook her head as the nurse pushed Tony to the entrance of the hospital and she filled out his discharge papers. She grabbed her car while the nurse waited with Tony, and by the time she got back around, he was still squinting in the sunlight. The nurse left them to it.

"Your car?" he asked when she got out.

"Is that a problem?" Claire questioned.

"Che-yeah," he told her. "Your car sucks."

"That wasn't what you said when we were having sex in the back seat." Claire's lip line went hard.

"Of course, we were having sex."

"Then give me the keys to your car," she negotiated.

"What? No way," he flustered.

"I love you, Tony, I really do... but get in the fucking car before I leave you here," she snapped with a growl.

"Whoa!" he held up his hands, but he didn't waist any time either. He grunted as he stood from the chair, and Claire took his arm as she helped him into the passenger seat. "I'm fine, I had the plague, I didn't get shot." he told her, breaking off to yawn.

"Oh, so you agree now?" Claire asked, as she shut his door and went to the driver's side. She climbed in and turned the car on. "That it is _just_ the plague."

"No," he told her as she pulled from the hospital lot. "That just meant that I wasn't shot."

Claire looked at him from the corner of her eye for a moment, before she sighed and turned them back onto the road. It was silent after that, and almost 45 minutes later when Claire pulled into her parking spot at their apartment building, she realized why. She undid her belt, and turned to Tony, and found his head back against the head rest, his eyes closed and mouth slightly agape.

She manoeuvred in her seat, until she was leaning back against her door, and watched him. He looked horrible; pale, loss of weight, his lips were cracked, his eyes were sunken and dark, his hair was un-styled. Even after sleeping for most of the five days that he was in the hospital, he kept yawning and dozing off. Claire knew that it could never be, _just_ the plague, 'cause it was the god damned _plague._ She kept fighting with him so that he would yell back, and she would know that he was fine. She was afraid that when he was asleep and couldn't tell whether or not he was breathing, it freaked her out enough to jiggle the bed until he moaned and shifted. She knew that it was childish and she was usually more realistic than that, she didn't do it now. But instead found tears prick the corner of her eyes and trail hotly down her cheeks. She didn't know why it was hitting her now, the fact that Tony could have died if it hadn't been for Castiel, a week after the fact. But it was, and it was very inconvenient; she swiped the tears away and forced smooth breaths through her nose.

"I'm flattered," Tony croaked.

"What?" she tried to sound normal, but the quick sniff gave her away.

Tony's eyes opened and his head turned to look at her. "You're crying for me."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Claire told him with a stone expression.

"You don't have to lie, we're all adults here." he sat up.

"Shut up, Tony." she told him.

"Claire... I don't want you to cry." he cupped her cheek. "Like you said, it was _just_ the plague."

"It wasn't _just_ the plague, Tony- it was _the _plague!" she told him, upset. "You could have died."

"But I didn't." he reasoned.

"No shit!" she shot back unnecessarily.

"Thanks for the support." he deadpanned. "Anyway, it's kinda gross."

"_Oh,_" she slapped his hand away. "I'm over it now."

"Good," he snapped off a smile. "Now, are we going sit here all day or what?"

Claire grinned at him widely, "I think that you're going to enjoy this next part."

_12 minutes later..._

"Tony?" Claire called down from the top of the flight of stairs. "Are you okay?"

Horrible wheezing drifted up in answer.

"Do I need to call an ambulance?"

"No... am... bu... lance..." Tony gasped, hanging on the rail for what seemed like his life.

"Just sit down,"

"How many... more?"

"Just this one flight" she reassured him.

"Alright..." Tony grunted loudly as he dragged his foot up a step, his arms shaking as he pulled himself up after it.

"Tony..." Claire sighed. "Just let me help you."

"I'm fine," he ground back.

Claire sighed again and crossed her arms as she leaned against the wall.

"Don't watch," he gasped.

Claire took a breath, an inward sigh was more like it and turned her gaze away. It was another ten minutes almost before he made a sound that was more animal than not, as he jerked himself up to the top of the steps and collapsed on his belly. "You finished?" she asked him, looking down.

It took a minute before he answered. "I'm just going to sleep here for a while, if that's alright with you."

"Tony,"

"Seriously, Claire, just... go on without me."

Claire scoffed. "You have got to be kidding me."

"I'm not." he told her, his eyes closed.

"Don't make me get the neighbour to come and carry you the rest of the way to the apartment." she threatened him.

"Which one?" he asked her, cracking an eye open.

She smirked. "The hot one; you know, the one that always checks out my ass."

"And... I'm up!" he told her, getting his hands under him as he pushed himself up, getting onto his knees. He wobbled, and would have fallen backwards down the stairs if Claire hadn't grabbed his arm. He used her to pull himself the rest of the way up, and then leaned against her as he still tried to catch his breath, it coming out his wheezes, his lungs screwed, they felt tight. "Hey," he said, looking into her eyes.

"Hey, back." she chuckled.

"Haven't seen you in a while," he told her.

"Okay,"

"You're kinda hot,"

"Thanks,"

Tony kissed her. "We should do it right here, right in the hall." he said.

"Tony!" she protested.

"Come on, it'll be hot." he pouted. "Maybe that hot next-door neighbour could tape it for us."

"First of all: gross! Secondly: no way I'm doing a sex tape. Third: This hallway if disgusting." Claire rang off. "And lastly: if the guy next door was going to do anything, his pants would need to be around his ankles." she smirked at him.

"What!" he sputtered.

"Yeah, I mean, if we're going to do this, we have to do it right, right?" she played.

"I can't believe that you would want to have a threesome... with him!"

"Only ever with you, Tony." she told him, kissing him.

"Damn right!" he agreed. "I'll shoot him if he even tries to touch you."

"I won't stand in your way." she agreed. "Now, are we going to stand here all day, or what?"

"I guess we can go," he rolled his eyes.

Claire closed hers for a moment, before they stumbled down the hall and into the apartment. Tony was all but hanging off of her, his feet dragging. She dropped him off on the couch heavily, and he grunted as he hit the cushions. She watched him for a moment, as he shifted himself in small increments, moaning the whole time, before she left him there.

"You just gonna leave me?" he called to her, his breath nearly back.

"Yes, Tony. I'm going to just leave you there," she said with sarcasm as she searched through the kitchen cupboards.

She left Tony for fifteen minutes before she came back into the living room with a bowl of soup, and Tony dozing on the couch. She set the bowl on the coffee table and sat on the edge of the couch. "Tony... Food." she said.

"Mm... Burrito." he mumbled, licking his lips.

Claire chuckled lightly to herself. "Sure, why not? Burrito..."

"I love burritos..." Tony sighed sleepily.

"Yes," Claire winced. "Unfortunately, I do." Tony cracked up at that, and she was glad that at least someone found it funny. "Come on, Tony. You need to eat something,"

"'m sleepin'." he whined, burying his face between the couch cushions.

"I know. You can go back to sleep after you eat, and you can go to bed, you'll feel much better in there anyway." Claire rubbed his stomach.

"Gotta go work..." his voice came out muffled between the cushions. "Soon..."

She sighed. "I'm covering you, remember?"

"Mm. Love you,"

"I love you too, Tony." she patted his stomach. "So, you rest..."

Tony seemed to like the sound of that, and he shifted, his hand reaching lazily out- for hers, she hoped- but instead honked her boob before it fell onto her lap. Claire quickly slapped her free hand over her mouth and nose, her shoulders shaking with repressed laughter. She couldn't help it; tired-Tony was in the same category as drunk-Tony and drugged-Tony. It took her second but she got it under control, and took Tony's hand, kissing it before she put it back in her lap. Those stairs had near killed him, his trek from the hospital exhausted him. He needed sleep at the moment, then food later when he woke up. She just hoped that when she was at work, he wouldn't do something stupid.

_tbc!_


	17. Chapter 17

**a/n: Episode Tag: Bikini Wax; stuff will be taken directly from the episode, spoilers, and AU twists, some parts will also be taken out. Slash: Claire/Tony.**

**Chapter Summary: **Claire replaces Tony on Gibbs' team, she becomes the Probie while Kate advances to Senior Agent. This is her first case on the team.

**Invitation: Replacement**

Instead of going down to her office in the garage, Claire took the elevator up to the third floor. She had made arrangements with the Director; she would replace Tony through his time of absence, and her second, Connors, would take her place down in evidence. She came out of the elevator and Kate and Tim were already there.

"Morning," Kate smiled at her from behind her desk.

"Morning guys," Claire smiled at her and Tim as she set her bag behind Tony's desk before leaning on the front, her gun on her hip and her badge next to it. She was wearing her usual footwear, because there was no way she was going to do this in any sort of heal like Kate did, a pair of slacks, and a blouse instead of her usual tee.

Tim smiled at her as he came to stand next to her. "You nervous?" he asked.

"Nervous? Why?" Claire asked him.

Tim and Kate shared a look, and the latter came around and mirrored Claire at her own desk. "Gibbs, Claire, Gibbs." she said as if that explained it, and apparently to her and Tim it did.

"You're exaggerating," Claire told her.

"You can never exaggerate with Gibbs," Kate told her.

"She's right," Tim agreed softly. "You've probably heard Tony say it a million times."

"Speaking of DiNozzo..." Kate trailed off. "How is he?"

"Sleeping like a little princess," Claire sighed. "Got out of the hospital on Friday, nearly died on the stairs, then passed out on the couch until Saturday afternoon. Didn't move an inch. Now it's Monday, he mumbles some obscene things when I got up this morning, and that was it."

"Sounds like him," Kate muttered.

"So, he's fine." Tim concluded.

"Yep," Claire popped the 'p'.

"That's good."

"Mm. Try living with him," she deadpanned. "And you guys should know, I have done this before." they looked at her in confusion. Claire rolled her eyes. "I haven't always worked in Forensics, you know." they continued to look at her. "I worked with the FBI, you know! as a Field Agent, but I found something better than that, something where I wasn't actually classified as an Feeb's asshole, and it was even better when I came over to NCIS."

Kate held up her hands. "We got you!" she chuckled and shook her head, before retreating back behind her desk.

Claire looked at Tim, who smiled back. "I think you'll be great." he told her softly and as he turned and headed back to his own desk, she could see that the back of his neck was flushed hot; she smirked at the reaction.

"So, we just wait now?" Claire asked them.

"Yeah," Kate told her, clicking on her keyboard.

"Right," Claire blew out a breath. "That'll be easy." she went around Tony's desk and pulled out his chair before sitting heavily in it, leaning back. "Holy crap..." she noted in wonder.

"What?" Kate looked up from her screen.

"This chair... it's so comfortable." she sighed.

"Everybody has these chairs," Kate said.

"I don't!" Claire pouted. "Mine's worse than hospital chairs, it was heaven sitting in that room all day, than my office filling out paperwork."

"Sitting anywhere without paperwork is heaven." Kate said dryly.

"Not if you have this chair," Claire told her, wistfully. She leaned forward and looked across at her best friend, and in a hushed tone, said, "Do you think anyone would notice if I stole one of these chairs?"

Kate chuckled lightly, but someone else beat her to it.

"I would," Gibbs ninja'd from the shadows, Kate and Tim jumped but Claire was no virgin to sudden appearances. "Novak." he had a coffee in hand, which from her friends, Claire knew was a near permanent part of his person. He set it in his desk as he sat in his chair.

"Good morning, boss." Tim announced into the silence.

Gibbs looked at his youngest Agent. "Let's hope it lasts, McGee."

"Wow," Claire looked at the older man. "Didn't take you for an optimist, Gibbs."

"Didn't know that you were going to replace DiNozzo in that chatty-sense when I brought you on, Novak." Gibbs told her.

Claire gave him a cheeky grin. "I'm not the one that cursed the day."

And just as she finished the sentence, Gibbs' cell started to ring. His icy stare pierced through her as she continue to smile before he flipped his phone open and held it to his ear. "Yeah, this is Gibbs." he listened along, holding the phone to his ear with his shoulder as he stood from his chair and opened the drawer, grabbing his gun and badge. "Okay, we'll be there." he hung up. "We have a body in Virginia Beach," he announced as he clipped his gun and badge into place. Tim and Kate shot from their seats, copying the motion of going into their desk drawers and clipping on their badge and gun, before grabbing their bags; Claire already had her gun and badge on, so she just threw the strap of her bag back over her shoulder. "McGee, call Ducky." Gibbs told his Agent.

"Yeah," Tim nodded, and took out his cell.

Claire smiled at Gibbs as the group passed her to the elevator, and she got his stare in return. She fallowed them, and they went down the garage. Gibbs gave Kate the keys to the van, Ducky and his assistant were on their way, and Gibbs took the car. Claire was excited, she couldn't remember the last time she had actually worked a case as a Field Agent, but at the current moment, that was not at the front of her mind.

"Why do I have to be on the hump?" Claire complained as Kate pulled the truck out of the garage and onto the appropriate road to Virginia Beach.

"Do you even have to ask." Kate glanced at her, grinning.

Claire shook her head, Kate was no help, so she looked to Tim on her other side instead. Tim cleared his throat nervously. "Um, you're the newest Agent on the team." he told her. "That makes you the Probie. And, uh..."

"Probies get the hump," Kate finished for him, laughing. "Ain't that right, McGee?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"I always hate the hump," Claire grumped.

"I feel sorry for you," Tim told her, always the nice guy. "But at the same time, I'm glad because as long as you're here, I don't have to sit there."

Kate chuckled at that, and Claire couldn't help the smile.

It didn't take long before they arrived, Gibbs was already there, of course, and Ducky wasn't far behind. The common area of the beach was taped off in yellow, around the bathroom and snack shack, there were squad cars and a crowd of half naked people.

"Thank god DiNozzo isn't here for this one," Kate voiced as they got their kits from the back.

"Why's that?" Tim asked.

"_The Bikini Contest,"_ Kate and Claire said together.

"Oh," he said in realization.

"Yeah," Kate agreed.

"Oh, come on." Claire sighed. "Any male would notice it." she glanced at Tim, who was blushing. She looked at Kate, "Remind you of anything?" she wiggled her brows.

"Heh. Now I'm really glad that Tony's not here." Kate muttered.

"But we have his replacement to fill the gap." Gibbs appeared in front of them. "Let's move." he told them and started to walk to the taped off area, the three Agents were quick to fallow. "Agent Gibbs, NCIS." he flashed his badge at a guy in a suit.

"Lieutenant Sumners, Virginia Police." the guy said, taking steps with Gibbs. "I assume you want to take this one."

"You assume right." Gibbs said.

"As soon as we found a Norfolk ID card, we cleared out." Sumners held up the bagged ID card and Gibbs took it. "I brought in extra men to seal off the area."

"This key doesn't leave much for an ID." Gibbs noted.

"There was a small beach bag in the next stall,"

Gibbs looked around as they walked and saw a brown van with a logo on the side and people packing camera equipment away. "What's _Volpe Entertainment?_"

"It's a cable channel that caters men, they hold the contest."

Gibbs glanced behind him at Kate, who noted, "I'll get a copy."

"Who found the bodies?" Gibbs continued.

"A woman at about 1400, she found one of my men soon after; she was pretty frantic." the lieutenant answered.

"Where is she?"

"She's in my car, back there." they stopped at the tape and he threw his thumb over his shoulder.

Gibbs looked at him for a moment before he ducked under the tape and started to head to the women's bathroom where the body was, Tim fallowed him under.

"You don't want to talk with her?" Sumners asked in confusion.

"Kate!" Gibbs barked as his temporary Senior Agent.

Kate winced and looked up at the Lieutenant. "He's not really one for chit-chat."

"I gathered that." he said dryly.

"Did you touch anything?" Claire asked him, and he looked at her. "Right," Claire nodded and Kate glanced back at her.

"Novak!" Gibbs barked this time.

"Coming," Claire said back and she went, leaving Kate behind the tape to deal with the witness and get an ID off the key card.

The bathroom was gross, to say the least. On one wall, there was a bench, and on the other, five stalls and two sinks, with two mirrors above them that were so dirty. Gibbs opened the last stall's door, Claire could see the woman's healed feet sticking out from under the door, and then the body was revealed. The brunette was in a blue, two piece bikini, her hair down, and her face in the toilet. Claire wanted to gag, but held it back easily; it wasn't the because of the body, she'd seen way worse things, but the toilet... "That's one hell of a swirly." she muttered.

Tim looked at her. "Swirly?"

Claire looked at him incredulous. "You don't know what a swirly is?"

"Of course I do." he sounded indignant.

"Oh... You're so innocent, Timmy." she told his and rubbed his shoulder with a gloved hand.

Tim pursed his lips and his brows drew together, he hated when people called him that. "I know what a swirly is." he protested. "I just repeated it because that was something that DiNozzo would have said."

"Oh,"

"You don't get paid for standing around." Gibbs growled at them and they winced. "McGee, pictures. I'll send Kate in to do the sketches."

"Alright," Tim nodded and took out his camera and started to take pictures of the body and scene.

Gibbs turned and started to leave, Claire looked from Tim to him. "What about me?" she asked.

"You're with me," he told her over his shoulder as he continued to leave.

"What? I'm not doing the scene?" she asked in confusion, "I always do the scene, it's kind of my job."

Gibbs stopped and turned around to her. "It _was_ your job," he told her. "You are a Field Agent now, Novak. On my team, replacing my Agent, and you'll do as I tell you to do. You're with me, is that clear?"

Tim glanced up at them from his camera. Claire looked at him with slightly raised brows, okay, so now she kinda understood what Tony and Kate were talking about. She didn't get it, not until the power that is Gibbs was directed directly at her. "Of course, Agent Gibbs."

He nodded and turned back around, Claire fallowed him as he left the bathroom. He was discarding his gloves in the garbage can when Ducky finally arrived. She stopped at his shoulder.

"Ah, Jethro." Ducky greeted him. "And Agent Novak, I trust that Anthony is doing well?"

"He is, thanks for asking." she smiled at the doctor.

"That's great news, my dear."

"McGee, should be done with the body." Gibbs told him, not looking at Claire. "I'm sending Kate in to do the rest."

Ducky nodded and went inside. Gibbs walked over to Kate next, who was on the phone and Claire fallowed him like a puppy.

"Well, thank you, Sergeant. You have been very helpful. Thanks," Kate hung up her cell phone and turned to Gibbs and Claire's approach. "Her name was Petty Officer Jordan. Her CO said she'd been deployed on the USS Monroe for the last 57 days. Ship returned to Port yesterday, about this time." she told the two other Agents.

Claire watched as Gibbs jotted a few things down in his note pad. "What did the witness have to say?" he asked her.

"Hah. She doesn't usually use public rest room, she has a phobia." Kate told him, flashing a grin at Claire.

Claire grunted in agreement. "She probably _never_ going to go in one now."

Gibbs glanced at her at the muttered comment. "She's no help," he sighed. He turned back to Kate. "What's the victims address?"

Kate looked down at her PDA. "9375 Rosewood Drive, Norfolk."

Gibbs nodded and wrote that down as well. "I want you to help McGee, sketches." he told her, "Novak's with me." he walked away.

"Okay," Kate nodded and looked at Claire. "Try not to act like Tony." she advised.

"What? I don't act like Tony!" she was thoroughly offended.

"Okay. So you don't do make movie references twenty-four-seven - thank god, otherwise we would not be friends - but like any human, you _will_ make a comment that'll get you smacked." Kate warned her.

"Novak, today!" Gibbs shouted back at her as he continued on his way to the car.

"Strike one..." Kate piped, a smile on her lips

"That one's your fault," Claire glared playfully before she glanced at Gibbs. "Here, Gibbs." she called back and was at his side in three seconds.

Kate smirked and went to help Tim.

Claire put her bag in the back seat, before getting into the passenger seat.

PO Jordan's living quarters were small; a carpeted room with a bed, two drawer dresser at the food, a TV in the corner and a compact chair, a mirror was by the window on the wall, with a little shelf underneath that held all her makeup, a small shelf with knickknacks separated the living area with the kitchen; it was small, had a small countered area, a few cupboards, a sink, stove and fridge.

Now this, was what Claire was good at. Processing a scene (searching a room for clues was her usual job), go through the scene (the apartment), look for anything that might tell them about Jordan and who might want to kill her, but instead of just collecting any evidence, investigate it too. Claire snapped on a pair of latex gloves, the corner of her mouth turned upward. "This place is pretty clean." she noted, looking around, done with the makeup; _nothing there_. Usually she didn't talk, didn't need to with her usual trade, but she wasn't just collecting evidence, she needed to let Gibbs know what she found out, that was what working with a team was.

"Yeah," Gibbs agreed, as he looked through her small dresser. "She probably didn't see much of it." he pushed the drawer closed and stood up.

Claire walked around him to the shelf that was separated into square sections, the place was small and there wasn't much to look at. Along with the few knickknacks that were on the shelves, there were small bamboo boxes in the nooks, there was not much in them, more for design than anything. She did see three books though. She read the spine as she picked up the book, "_Fighting the Bulge...? _By: Jeff Dickson._"_ She looked at the cover and snorted at the man on the front, "Looks like Jeff is lossing the battle." she put the book back and read the spines of the other two, "_Losing Is A Choice, _and, _How To Lose 15 Pounds in 15 Days._" Claire looked over her shoulder at Gibbs. "They're all weight loss books." she told him.

"And these are all workout videos," Gibbs told her, his back to her as he looked through the tapes that were stored other shelf on the wall next to the TV.

Claire looked into the last bamboo box and found a small pile of magazines. "_Preoccupied with __Weight loss__, Vomiting Before Attack."_ Claire sighed. "Sounds like an eating disorder."

Gibbs didn't say anything, but shook his head as he took the framed photo from the top of the chest; it was of Jordan and another woman, maybe a sister or friend. They were going to have to locate her, whoever she was.

Claire finally went into the kitchen, and right away there was something that drew her eye. On the small kitchen island was a small bouquet of roses. She found a little card, and took it out of the small envelope and opened it. "Hey, Gibbs." she called. "Check this out."

Gibbs put the picture back down and went over to his TAD Agent. "What'd you got?"

"_Tiff, hope you enjoyed my letters and live for the day that we can be together. Love, John."_ Claire read, before handing Gibbs the card.

He took it and scanned it with his eyes; another lead. "How romantic," he commented dryly.

Claire looked at him at that, who would have thought that the thought of flowers would be funny to a man like Gibbs. She shook her head and to hide her smirk, picked of the flowers and smelled them. She may not have the greenest thumb in the room, but she could tell this, "They're fresh," she put them back down and Gibbs gave her the card again, she picked up the envelope that accompanied it and slid it back in. "Huh," she noted as well, and Gibbs raised a brow at her, indicating that she should elaborate more. "It doesn't look like he had them delivered."

"How can you tell?"

"Well, don't companies usually stamp their insignia on the envelopes?" she asked. And held up the envelope between two fingers, showing him one side and then the other. "Blank,"

"Right,"

"Haven't you ever gotten flowers?" she asked him.

Gibbs turned from her and shook his head. "I don't like presents that need attention."

"Wait, hold up." she told him, and he turned back around. "

"You find something else?" he asked her.

"No," Claire shook her head. "But, just to clarify... If a woman gave herself to you as a present, you wouldn't like it because it would require you giving her attention?" Gibbs glared at her. "Right," Claire winced. "Not a big fan of flowers either," Gibbs turned from her again, to the little end table that held her phone and the pocket calendar; no messages. Claire continued to look around the kitchen and picked up the small stack of mail, sorting through them. "These are all bills form before she left," she looked around. "So, where are the letters?" she turned to Gibbs. "You think she chucked 'em?"

"She never got 'em," Gibbs said, turning from the table. "She'd been at sea for the last few months."

"Right..." Claire came back around the island. "So, then, she should have come home to a stack of mail, right?"

"No, she did what everyone who goes on trip does," Gibbs told her.

"Which is..." Claire trailed off and looked at him, she really didn't know because she never been on trip before, sad, but true.

Gibbs looked back. "She had her mail stopped."

"Exactly," Claire told him awkwardly, and turned from him, trying not to go red.

Gibbs smirked. "Haven't you ever taken a trip?" he said, almost mocking her stupid question to him from earlier.

Claire looked over her shoulder with a sour expression and Gibbs chuckled.

Claire blew out a breath as she followed Gibbs into autopsy, to find Petty Officer Jordan of the slap with her chest cut open and her insides in view. She wasn't bothered by it, she saw all kinds of things done to bodies all the time; it wasn't knew to her. Her first body was when she was thirteen.

"What do we have, Duck?" Gibbs wasn't one to waste any time as he stepped right up to the table.

"There was no shortage of water in her lungs," Ducky told him, noding a greeting at Claire. "She definitely drowned."

"Any internal damage?" Gibbs asked.

"Well, her asophigas was quite worn, as if she were vomiting exessively."

Claire came up next to Gibbs with: "So, she _was_ balemic." and he glanced at her before looking back to Ducky, wanting the answer.

"It is possible," Ducky told them, "But imporbable."

"How so?" Claire questioned.

"Her throat shows little evidence of self regergitation" Ducky told her. "Palimonary tests conclude that her bought with hyperameses was caused by a hormonal inbalance." Gibbs went around the table and looked at the results on the clipboard in the doctor's hand. "Particularly a spastic rise in her estrogen levels."

Gibbs was quiet for a moment. "Morning sickness," he said finally.

Claire looked at him in surprise. "She's pregnant!"

"_Was_, my dear." Ducky told her softly.

"It's Petty Officer Toffany Jordan," Tim said into the mouth piece of his phone, pen in hand. "J-O-R-D-A-N... No... I was just on hold!" he ground his teeth as he was put back on hold.

Claire was barking into her own phone at Tony's desk. This wasn't her thing, and she thought that it was quite reasonable to be getting rather frustrated. She was trying to get the mail that PO Jordan had stopped and was appartently getting nowhere. "A warrent will take days, I need it now... Well, I-I understand that it's Federal... But that's not soon enough!" Claire hung up with mirrored ground teeth as Tim. This wasn't fair!

"Abby didn't find any prints on the bouquet or beach bag," Gibbs stormed into they bullpen, none too happy. "That means one of you had better give me a lead." he glared at his three Agents, focusing on Kate currently. "Kate," he barked.

"Oh, um..." Kate grabbed her pad and flipped it open. "I talked to Petty Officer Jordan's rack-mate form the USS Monrowe. She said that Jordan bought an early pregancey test durning the brief stop at King's Bay." she told him.

"She knew she was pregnant," Gibbs nodded. "Do we know who the father is?"

"She used a payphone to call him, but his cell was turned off, said she left a message." Kate said. "Other than that, no."

"Maybe it's the _Love, John_ from the card." Claire said, and Gibbs looked at her with his icy eyes.

"And do you know who that is?" he said.

Claire winced. "No..."

"The mail, how long." Gibbs talked over her.

"Um... Two days, three tops." she told him.

"You got four..." he told her.

"Really?" Claire breathed in relief, this wasn't so bad.

"Hours," Gibbs finished.

She'd spoken too soon and looked away from Gibbs. How the hell was she going to do that without a warrent and how was she going to get a warrent. Kate gave her friend a sympathetic look, and Gibbs turned to Tim.

"McGee." he looked at his youngest Agent who just hung up his phone and had a piece of paper in his hand, a smile on his lips. "Are you waiting for me to announce you?"

"Um, no." Tim shook his head and scurried quick to Gibbs' desk. "I, uh, pulled the phone records from Petty Officer Jordan's apartment; there was only one call that she returned, it was yesterday at 1100 to a Lisa Kure." he handed Gibbs the paper.

"That's two hours prior to Ducky's time of death," Gibbs looked at the paper, "This address her work or her home?"

"Um, both." Tim said. "She's an at home yoga instruster." he glanced over his shoulder at Tony's desk, used to getting an inappropiate comment at the news, but Tony was sick and instead there was silence, it was kinda nice.

"Good job, McGee." Gibbs stood from his chair and pulled out his gun, clipping the holster onto his belt. "You're with me." he told his Agent and Tim couldn't help the smile as he returned to his desk and grabbed his own gun.

"I want that mail by the time I get back, Novak. And go help Abby, Kate" Gibbs said as he passed his two female Agents to the elevator, Tim in tow.

Claire sighed through clenched teeth as she watched the elevator doors close before she turned to her best friend. "What am I going to do?" she asked.

"I can't help you there," Kate told her sadly. "But you'll figure it out." she assured. "I'll be in Abby's lab if you need me." she said and took the elevator behind the stairs, leaving Claire alone in the bullpen, with useless advice.

Claire squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force herself to think. This was harder than she remembered, but then again, the FBI did operate differently from NCIS. That wasn't the problem though, she was an evidence gal, a dust bunny like Tony said. God, she missed him. But she couldn't think about that either, she had a case to work, four hours to find a way to get federal mail.

Kate looked at the stuff that was taken out of Jordan's beach bag, and picked up a circular roller that looked like a thing of deodarent. But when she read the lable, found that it wasn't.

"Bikini glue," Abby told her as she turned from her computer. "The contestants use it to keep their bikini bottoms from riding up."

"I know," Kate told her, and Abby raised a dark brow at her, her arms crossed over her chest. "I did Spring Break too, you know."

"No, I didn't. But do tell."

Kate shurgged her shoulders. "It was just the beach for a week."

"Right,"

Kate rolled her eyes. "With some beer, College boys, and a few contests."

"Kaitlyn Todd, the Wild Girl I never knew!" Abby grinned.

"Bikinis for a week." Kate admitted.

"Oh, you have to show me pictures." Abby told her.

"I do have a few saved, as much as Claire tried to destroy them all."

Abs laughed. "You definitely have to show me now,"

Kate nodded, a grin in place. "So, is this the stuff that Palmer found in the Jordan's hair?"

Abby shook her head and turned back to her computer. "No. I compared both substances. The stuff in her hair was a thicker wax," She turned back to Kate. "Speaking of Claire..." Abby said. "How's she doing on time?"

Kate glanced down at her watch. "Eight minutes left."

"Oh," Abby let out a breath. "I hope she makes it. It would suck to face Gibbs' wrath this early."

"Oh, she'll make it." Kate told the scientist, knowing it to be true.

"You sound sure of yourself," Abby said with slight suspicion.

"Here!" Claire ran through the door, holding up two small bundles of mail. "And not a minute to spare."

Abby looked from Claire, to Kate with a raised brow.

"Told you," Kate said.

"Good job, Claire." Abby told the other Agent as she set the mail on the evidence table. "How'd you manage that?"

Claire winced and glanced at Kate. "I might have cheated."

"What, you did?" Abby cocked her head. "How?"

Claire glanced at Kate again. "It's a secret...?" she tried.

"Hm," Abby looked between to two woman, who glanced at each other again. "You helped, didn't you, Kate?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," the former Secret Service Agent denied any involvement.

"Uh-huh." Abby agreed, clearly unconvinced.

"Fine," Kate sighed. "I might have helped her."

"Help her how?"

"Remember that feeb in Mail Fraud that always flirts with me?"

"Yeah,"

"I called him."

"You didn't go out with him, did you?"

"Not exaclty," Kate laughed at that and shook her head; no way in hell. "I read him section 2-A of the Federal Sexaul Harrassment Code, and then asked him a favor."

"Right on!" Abby cheered, and gave her a fist pump.

Claire grinned to. "So, how are we going to sort through all this."

"Okay, we should each take a thrid and filter through it." Kate told them, ever the experienced.

Gibbs and Tim were finally back. And Claire barely waited a two seconds after they were seated before she rushed in with a hand full of letters in evidence bags.

"Our _Love, John_'s name is really Jonathan Redding. He's written out victim four letters within the last six weeks." Claire handed Gibbs the letters. "Kate said that the writting indicates classic stalker; if he can't haver her, then no one can."

"That sounds like our guy," Tim voiced, reaching for his gun as Gibbs did.

"Got a return address?" Gibbs asked her.

Here was where Claire winced. "Um, Cell Block F. He's in the Danville Correctional Facilety."

Gibbs looked at her and sighed.

"Dead end." Tim noted, putting his gun back.

"What do you mean, dead end?" Claire looked at between them in confusion. "We should still talk to him, shouldn't we? He gave her the flowers, she called him. We can't ignore evidence like that," she protested.

"There is no evidence," Gibbs told her, "He still in prison, Claire."

"Actually..." Kate spoke up, just having come from Abby's lab. "I just finished speaking to Danville's Assistant Warden, Redding was paroled thirteen days again."

"See," Claire said, pointing at Kate.

Spoke too soon. And now it made sense, how the flowers could have gotten to Jordan's apartment when they weren't delivered by a flourist comapny.

"Jonathan Redding was arrested for assult and battery in May of '01. He had two priors before that," Kate read from his file as she stood and went over to the big screen nearst to Gibb's desk with Gibbs and Tim. "Violation of a Restraining Order and possession of narcatics; two of his three arrests involved ex-girlfriends."

"We locate him?" Gibbs asked.

"I, uh, phoned his registered address, claimed they haven't seen him." Tim answered.

"His Parole Officer?" was Gibbs' next question.

"Called him as well, but am still waiting to here back." Tim said.

Gibbs looked at him, giving him a stare.

Tim looked at him again, and internally winced. "I'm gonna call him again." he said and was very glad to go back to his desk.

"This guy defnitely fits the profile," Kate told Gibbs.

"All we have is a rap sheet and some fan mail," Gibbs said, sitting at hims desk. "Even if we find him, we can't detain him." he through his empty coffee cop in his garbage angrly.

"Gibbs?" Claire questioned, putting the phone back on the reciever. "I might have a solution to that."

Gibbs look at her. "Spit it out."

"Reddings former cell mate saw the murder on the news; he says that he had some information that we should here." Claire spit out as so clearly intructed.

"In exchange for what?"

"Depending on what he gives us, right?" Claire said. "DA might cut him a deal."

Gibbs nodded, satisfied for the temperary moment. "Kate, go with her. Find out what he knows."

Kate nodded and went back to her desk, grabbing her gun and coat. But Claire was kind of frozen and unsure.

"What?" Claire asked him. "Shouldn't Tim go with her instead, or you for that matter?"

Gibbs looked at her. "Are you an Agent on this team, or not, Novak?"

"I am..."

"Then you're going. You're not a rookie, so quit acting like one." he growled at her.

Claire face scrunched up, but she stood and clipped her gub into place, taking her jacket with her as she followed Kate.

"Have you ever done this before?" Claire asked Kate quietly as the two of them were let to Danville's visiting area and to their witness.

"I have been at this a while, you know." Kate told her.

"Yeah, but have you done _this_ before? Interigate and inmate?"

"Once or twice." Kate assured her. "It's just like any noraml interigation. This guy asked to speak with us, he wants to help. There's nothing to worry about,"

"Okay," Claire nodded. She was worried, if something did go down, she could very well take care of herself, even without the gun. But it had been forever since she worked on a team, therefore, it went without saying, that talking to a suspect was on the same ship.

"Just follow my lead," Kate told her, as a guard let them through the gate and to a table where a young guy sat.

"He's kinda hot," Claire whispered to her friend.

"_Claire,_" Kate scolded.

"Sorry," Claire whispered.

The guard left them.

"I'm Special Agent Todd, and this is Special Agent Novak." Kate introduced as she took a seat at the table, but Claire stayed standing for the moment being.

"Luke," the guy nodded at them both.

"Hold long were you and Jonathan Redding cell mates?" Kate started off.

"Six or seven months," Luke told them.

"Six or seven?" Claire voiced, and he look up at her from where she stood behind Kate.

"What does it matter?" he asked.

"Just want to get the facts right." she told him.

"He came in around my birthday, so seven." he said, and Kate wrote it down in her PDA.

Claire's arms were crossed over her chest as she started to walk, slow around the table. "So, you gave him the magazine with Tiffany's picture in it, when was it that you started to believe that Jonathan was..." she trailed off as she came to his side and notice a tattoo peeking out from under the short sleeve of his orange jump suit. Luke looked at her, waiting for the rest of the question when she reached out and moved his sleeve, seeing the whole of the tattoo and what it was. Tony would have loved this. "You're an Alpha Kida Delta?"

Luke cocked his head in interest. "Rutkers, '91." he told her.

Claire sat on the bench next to him, Kate looked at her in confusion. "My boyfriend, Ohio State '89."

"Heh. Awesome," Luke told her, and Claire smiled at him; crap, she was totally thinking he was hot 'cause he was so like Tony. Kate, on the other hand, sighed and shook her head, this was going to take longer than it really needed to be. But, she finally got through it and when they got out of the prison, she called Gibbs.

"According to his cell mate, Redding stared at Petty Officer Jordan's photo's hours at a time. And then the letters started,"

"This he was obsessed?"

"Oh, yeah. He found her address over the internet, and then his plan was to contact her when he was released. He didn't want to live without her,"

"Or her live without him."

"McGee track down an address?"

"Yeah, we're on our way now." and he hung up.

On the drive back, Claire could feel Kate keep glancing at her and couldn't take it anymore.

"What?" Claire asked her.

"What was that all about?" Kate asked back.

"What was what about?"

Kate scoffed. "Flirting with Luke? A witness, one that's in prison, no less."

"I wasn't flirting!" Claire protested.

"Oh, yeah, you were." Kate countered. "I've known you since high school, I know what you're flirting looks like."

"It looks like nothing because I was not flirting with anyone." Claire told her, glaring out the window.

"Stop lying," Kate told her.

"Fine," Claire sighed. "I may have been a little."

Kate looked at her again, before she looked back at the road. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I am... not fine." Claire admitted.

"So, tell me." Kate told her.

"I miss Tony,"

"Okay, even though I don't see how that's possible," Kate said, and continued when Claire gave her a look, "You saw him this morning, right?"

"Yeah, and I've called him." Claire admitted. Though he was asleep the two times that she did, that was fine, she knew that he needed his rest and when he woke up, he'd call her.

"And you're around him all the time when you're home," Kate said. "How can you miss him?"

"I don't miss him physically," Claire told her. "I miss his personality."

"What!" Kate demanded, flaberghasted. "Now that something no one in their right might would miss. You are not in your right mind," she told him.

Claire glowered at her. "I know that you think of Tony like one of your brothers, Kate. But with me, it's totally different. I love him, despite the movie references, his man-slut ways... everything that you despise in him. I can't help it, I've always been into the serority type guys. And that is pure Tony. He may be thirty-two, but he has the energy of a College guy, and you cannot believe the sex-"

"Ugh!" Kate shivered in disgust as she cae to a stop at the red light. "You know I hate it when talk about having sex with DiNozzo."

"But, Kate..." Claire looked at her friend. "You should have when you had the chance."

"Claire!"

"Fine," she sighed. "But, you know, he's deeper than that five year old at work. And it's great. But After he got the Plague... I don't know. I just miss his blathering." she sighed again, more deeper this time, with feeling.

Kate sighed too. "You know Tony," she said. "He'll bounce back soon, and then you'll wonder why you didn't cherish the silence."

"I hope you're right, Kate. I hope you're right."

"Have I ever been wrong?"

Claire looked at her as the light turned green and Kate excellerated. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

Kate winced. "I'd rather you didn't, thanks."

Claire grinned. "So am I going to finally get to watch Gibbs do an interigation?"

"It's very educational," Kate told her, back to her logical-self.

Claire rolled her eyes, but smiled.

Gibbs and Tim had arrested Redding, well, Gibbs did. How, it didn't matter, they finally had their suspect in custody and in the interigation room and Claire was going to finally get to see Gibbs in action. Kate was in the observation room together, Redding alone at the table, hands cuffed behind his back like the proper scumbag he was.

"Luke was right, this guy is creepy." Claire told Kate.

Kate rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You realize that you've been talking about Luke since we left, right?"

"He's a good guy," Claire defended him, unable to help it.

"He's a criminal, Claire." Kate said. "And you have a Tony-placment crush on him."

Claire looked at her through a squished expression. "Firstly, what does that even mean. And secondly, no I don't."

"Right." it was clear that Kate didn't believe her.

"I just feel bad for him, is all." she scowled.

"I can't believe you. I just don't get what you find attractive about frat-boy personalities." Kate told her. "Men and their Fraturnities; it's just a pact to get drunk and laid, it's like that superceeds everything.

"Okay. Firstly, that only like 90% of it. And the rest is... Brotherhood and solidarity."

Kate scoffed and shook her head. "I don't even want to know how you know that."

Claire grinned at her. "I don't get why you're making such a big deal out of this; do you not remember what you did during Spring Break? Hm."

Now Kate was scowling. "Of course I remember, but we're not talking about that. We're talking about the fact that you're not even Tony's type, for God's sake."

"Oh, I am." Claire looked at her sideways. "You've just never seen me in bed."

"Ugh!" Kate shook her head. "I was wrong, you're just like them."

Claire could have said more, but Gibbs finally entered the interigation, and their conversation was put to an end. They turned to look through the glass, the show was finally about to start.

"Finally. I've been sitting here for twenty-minutes!" Redding said.

Gibbs closed the door and took the chair on the other side of the table and put it at the shorter side. "Sorry about that, Jon, I asked them to put out refreshments and they must have forgotten." he said sarcastically as he took his seat. He looked at Redding for a moment to make sure that he got the point, before he opened the folder that was in his hand.

"Why am I here?" Redding asked after a beat of silence.

"Because killing people is illigal." Gibbs told him, not looking up but instead looking at the open folder in his lap.

"I didn't kill anyone!" Redding protested.

"Then why did you run?" Gibbs demanded, looking form the folder, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I owed the wrong people a lot of money when I went away," he said, looking away.

Gibbs pursed his lips as he nodded lightly. "Drugs?"

Redding looked at him. "And now that I'm out they're looking to collect. I saw the two of you and I reacted."

"He's lying," Claire said, watching.

"If he is, he's pretty good." Kate commented.

The observation door opened and both Claire and Kate turned to see Tim walk in, but not Tim in his suit either, but Tim in his workout clothes instead. "What'd I miss?" he asked.

"What are you wearing?" Claire asked, eyeing the uniform. "Where's your suit?"

Tim let out a breath through his nose and his lips went into a line as he saw both women trying to force back the smiles. "I chased this joker through a car wash, alright." he snapped lightly, coming to stand next to Claire at the window; Kate snorted at she tried to hold back her laughter, and Claire's shoulders were shaking ever so slightly as she tried to surpress hers. Tim glared at the pair of them. "My workout clothes were the only thing here that was clean."

"You're so lucky that Tony isn't here." Kate told him.

Claire threw an arm around him shoulders. "You look fine, Tim." she assured her friend.

Tim didn't say anything, embarrased enough. And they turned back to the interigation.

Gibbs took out one of Redding's letters to Jordan and slid it across the table.

Redding looked at it with wide eyes. "Where'd you get that?" he demanded.

"Same place I got the other three," Gibbs told him, slapping the other three letters onto the table top. "Petty Officer Jordan's PO Box."

"She never got them..." he whispered, looking at the letters, upset.

"That why you killed her?" Gibbs said, "because she wouldn't respond to you?"

"I didn't kill her," Redding said, shaking his head as he looked up at Gibbs. "I loved her."

Gibbs slapped the folder onto the table and leaned on the surface; this was going nowhere. "Where were you Saturday between 12:00 and 1:15 p.m.?"

"I was there, I was at the contest."

Gibbs sat back. "You're not helping your cause much, here, Johnny-boy!"

"I went there because I wanted to talk to her, tell her how much she means to me!"

"Why didn't you tell her that when you delivered the flowers?"

"She wasn't home, so I left them at the door." Redding's said, calmer this time around. "I didn't see her at the contest either, I waited, but she never came out."

"Did you go by yourself?"

Redding chuckled lightly, but there was no humour in it as he shook his head. "Yep, showed up about a half-hour before it started. Stood right in front of the stage until it was over... I didn't kill her." he paused, his eyes wet as he looked back down at his letters. "I just wanted to be a part of her life." he swallowed. "You have to believe me."

Gibbs watched him, sighing internally as he scratched his chin. If he was telling the truth, Gibbs knew a way they could find out.

Gibbs got the taps from _Volpe Entertainment _and they were down in Abby's lab, trying to fond the evidence that Redding's was where he said he was. It was up on the big screen in her lab, but the picture was blurry.

Gibbs looked at it. "What's the problem, Abs?" he ascked, looking at her at the computers.

"It was crystal clear this morning," Abby told him, working on her keyboard. "Got it!" she cheered when the screen clear and the picture was up.

"What happened?" Tim asked.

"I forgot to rewind it." she admitted, embarrassed. "Anyway," she shook her head and everyone turned back to the big screen.

"Cue it up from the beginning," Gibbs told her.

Abby pressed a few buttons, and, "Done," she told him. "It was a two camera shoot; one was focused on the stage, while the other one went for the audiences reaction."

"Fast forward it to around noon,"

Abby fast forwarded the tapes until they were a noon.

"Stop!" Gibbs told her and she did. "Zoom in B." she did. "There he is," he pointed Redding out, in the front of the crowd at the stage.

"Right where he said he was." Kate said.

"Yeah, but he still has until 1:15 to slip away," Tim pointed out.

"Speed it up, Abs." Gibbs instrusted the Scientist.

They watched as the tape sped up and Redding's stayed in the same spot. "He's still there, boss." Tim said in disappointment, he was their only solid lead.

"So, then, that means that Jonathan Redding did not kill PO Jordan." Claire clicked her tongue from where she stood next to Gibbs, her arms crossed over her chest. "That means that we're at a dead end."

Gibbs looked at her, his gaze hard. "I don't know what you do down in the garage, Novak. But I don't do deadends," he turned to the rest of his team. "So I don't know why everyone is standing around!" he snapped, pissed.

Claire stared at him for a second in suprise, a little harsh, but effective. "Her boyfriend, right?"

"Good," he told her. "Now move!" he ordered and the three Field Agents rushed from Abby's lab.

Abby looked at him with raised brows. "A little rough, Gibbs?"

"I thought you liked it rough," Gibbs returned.

She grinned at him. "I do... Like it when Timmy gets rough."

Gibbs shook his head. "There are somethings that I don't need to know, Abby."

Claire had something, and she couldn't believe she had thought of it after all this time and drama. So much, in so little time. It was quite fun, actually, not the sereness that was done in the garage, the organized structure of it. No wonder Tony was always pumped.

"Where's Gibbs?" Claire asked, walking fast from the elevator and into the bullpen. Kate was at her desk and Tim was at the filing cabinet.

"Don't know," Kate told her unhelpfully. "Why?"

"I think I found us a lead," she sang happily.

"Where?" Tim asked.

"You know you're interview with Lisa Kerr?" Claire said.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Well, when you told us about the spread that Jordan was doing in GSM, it kind of got me thinking." she told them.

"Got you thinking what?" Kate asked.

"We were at a dead end, no clue who this boyfriend of Jordan's was; we went through her mail, the tapes of the contest, our only suspect was cleared."

"Get to the point, would you?"

"Right." Claire nodded. "Well, the one thing that we didn't do was check out the magazine that she was published in."

"That's not a lead," Kate shook her head. "They're just pictures of her half-naked, right?"

"True," Claire agreed. "But a lead nonetheless." she took her backpack from her shoulders and whipped out a copy of the magazine that had Jordan in it.

"How would you even get that?" Tim asked. "That edition was published months ago, no way you'd find it."

"Oh, Tony has magazines like these laying all over the apartment like you would believe." Claire told them.

"Oh, I do believe, Claire." Kate said, dryly, "Unfortunetly."

Claire looked at her. "Well, yes, I guess that it isn't hard to believe. But that's not the point," she waved her hand.

"Then what's that point?"

"The point, Agent Todd, is that I found something."

"Then don't keep it to yourself, Novak." Gibbs said, coming from the back elevator and dropped into his chair, coffee in hand. "Share with the class so that they may learn."

"Right." Claire nodded. She skirted around Tim from behind Tony's desk and went around to Gibbs'. She opened the magazine to the page that she had marked with a sticky note and handed it to Gibbs.

He took it and set it on his desk. "What am I looking at, Novak?"

"This is PO Jordan's photo spread. On the first page, everythings fine, shot professionally. But the next page; those two photo, they weren't taken by the magazine." Claire said, pointing to two pictures of Jordan dressed in langeray around an article. "They got them from her." she told him, leaning in her hands at the front of her desk.

"Why?" Gibbs asked, holding it up in his hands.

"It's something GSM likes to do," Claire answered. "Gives the reader a voyaristic look into the girl's lives."

"Who do you think took the photos?" Tim asked, standing next to Claire.

"In the article PO Jordan said that they were taken by her boyfriend."

"Did you contact GSM?" Gibbs asked her, looking up.

Claire smiled. "I did do that, actually." she said, proud. "They said that the photos were taken by a local photographer named Jason Caplin, he's a freelancer they work with a lot."

"Check it out." Gibbs told her, holding out the magazine to her.

"Really?" Claire asked, taking it back. "Like by myself?"

"No, not by yourself, Kate's going with you." he told her.

"Right," Claire shook her head. "Of course." she looked to Kate and they grinned at each other.

Kate reached into her desk and grabbed her gun, while Claire took her from her beg and they both headed to the elevator.

"I don't even want to know how you knew that stuff," Kate commented.

Claire glanced at her friend. "Knowing Tony does actually have some perks."

"It should, otherwise I wouldn't keep him around." Gibbs voice floated through the closing doors.

"I can't believe that you let Tony keep crap like that around your apartment." Kate told Claire as they walked down the hall to Caplin's studio.

Claire looked at her. "It is his apartment, too. And even though he uses 'readying the articles' as an excuse, they're actually pretty good."

Kate shook her head. "Those pictures are demeaning, they make women look like sex objects."

"Oh, Kate." Claire shook her head back. "When did you become such a prude."

"I am not a prude!" she protested.

"Back in University, no. You were quite fun, but now? You have a stick up your ass," she sang as she opened the door to Studio B. "The body is a beautiful thing that should be admired."

Kate fallowed Claire, and a slow smile spread across her lip. "Okay, I take back everything that I said back there."

Claire shook her head. In front of them were three very fit mean, in banana hamicks and covered in grease, getting their photo taken as they possed. "You're such a hypcrite."

"Whatever you say." she mumbled, not paying much attention to her fellow Agent.

It was a few more minutes before the photographer, Caplin, was finished and turned to them. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but I didn't want to, uh, you know, break the zone."

"It was no problem," Kate assured him.

Claire cleared her throat. "Is there somewhere else that we can talk?"

"Uh, sure. My office." he lead them away, but not before Kate took another glance back, Claire was so goin to hold this over her friend. "Tiffany Jordan... I couldn't believe it when I saw her on the news." he told them. "Such a cute girl. Camera really loved her,"

"We were wondering about the two small photos at the bottom of her layout, it said that they were taken by her boyfriend." Claire told him.

"That's, uh, between her and the magazine." Caplin explained. "My job is to send in pictures and permission from whoever took them."

"Do you have that release on file?" Kate asked him.

"Sure, yeah. I have records of everything." he went over to one of his filing cabinets and pulled open the top drawer, it took him a second before he found the page. He handed it to Kate.

She looked at the name and showed Claire the paper. "Isn't that...?"

"Lisa Kerr's fiance." Claire finished in confusion.

"Why would he have any reason to take pictures of Jordan?"

Claire scoffed. "Lisa would probably wonder the same thing."

"I'll call Gibbs," Kate said.

They brought Kevin Holte in; he'd already told them that he was having an affair on Lisa Kerr with PO Jordan; he was the one that was taking the photos of Jordan and it was his surfboard wax that they found in her hair. They got him to give a sample of the DNA and found that he was the father of Jordan's unborn baby. Holte told them that Kerr didn't know, but she suspected and searched through his emails and phone messages. They brought her in to watch the interigation of Holte and she let it slip that that she did indeed go through that she listened to his phone messages. Then came the interigation of Kerr. She heard a message left on Holte's phone from Jordan saying that she was pregnant and then deleted it. They got her prints at the scene. She was the one that killed Petty Officer Toffany Jordan.

Claire blew out a long breath. It was late, no one else was left in the bullpen but herself. Tim had already written up his report, Kate too, God knows where Gibbs was. She really wanted to go home, climb into bed with Tony, snuggle up and sleep forever. But she wanted to finish this report, that way she wouldn't have to get up early to come in and finish it, she would sleep in until the last minute.

It was an hour before she finished her report, and the drive back to her apartment felt like forever. Earlier that day when she had went home to gert the magazine, Tony was up and in the tub taking a bath. But when she got home tonight, the apartment was dark and she knew that Tony would be asleep in their bed.

She toed off her shoes and was quiet in the bathroom before she went to their bedroom. She stripped down to her panties and stumbled around a bit, not able to help bumping into a few things, which caused her to grunt and curse under her breath. But even though she was quiet, Tony shifted and groaned.

"Claire?" he croaked, yawning.

"Yeah," Claire climbed under the sheets.

"What took you so long?" he asked her, his voice quiet. He wormed next to her, and kissed her cheek, finding her in the darkness.

"Hm. You know Gibbs," she sighed, turning her head and catching his lips. "I missed you,"

"I missed you to," he told her. He pulled back for a second. "You brought back my magazine, right?"

Claire rolled her eyes on the darkness. "Of course."

"Just checking," he whispered, his lips brushing against the smooth skin of her neck. "Love you," She chuckled, and shook her head slightly. He reached across her stomach, his finger tips brushing against her naked skin before he pulled her against him. Spooning against her back. "You naked?"

"Reletively." she answered, her eyes closed.

"Completely." he whispered in her ear.

"have you been walking around naked all day?" she asked him.

"... Not walking."

She snorted at that.

"What? If I have to stay home for another two weeks, I'm going to dresse how I like... and what I like is nothing." Tony pouted.

"That... makes sense." she told him.

"Damn right it does!" he agreed.

"I'm glad you're happy. Now go to back sleep, I'm tired." she mumbled.

"Sleep? Now?" he asked her. "After you're finally home, and naked?"

"Yes, Tony. Even after all that."

"Come on, you won't even have to do anything." he told her.

"Tony!"

"What? Do you feel this?" he asked and shifted in the bed pressing up against her.

"Yes, Tone. I feel your penis against my thigh."

"Do you feel how hard it is, how eager it is to be inside of you?" he asked, shifting again and rubbing against her, a strained moan leaving his lips as he breath.

"Very much so." she agreed, her tone sleepy.

"I swear, you won't even have to move, Claire." Tony promised, begged her. He needed this badly, he hadn't had sex for such a long time, it felt like he hadn't seen her in forever either, even though she was there that afternoon.

"I'm wearing underwear," she told him.

"That's fine," he told her, eager, sure that she was warming up to the idea. "I don't even need penitration."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"Do you really want to know?" he asked.

"Probably not," she agreed. "You can, but only if I can stay where I am and you have to do all the work."

"I'm up for that."

"You sure you can handle it with your lungs?" she asked.

"Yep,"

"You'd say that even if you couldn't,"

"Yep," he agreed.

"Fine," Claire sighed, nearly asleep already. Tony had been doing a little better when she had come in that afternoon, enough so to perpare the bath. So if he really wanted to do whatever it was that he was going to do, she'd let him go for it; the Plague was never going to let him pass at a chance to partisipate in anything sexual. "Go for it."

Tony went on shifting again, adjusting himself. And then, suddenly, he was in place. Claire let out a slight gasp as his hard cock between her thighs, and brushed her through the thin material of her panties. Tony grunted out and had to pause for a second to catch his breath; he wouldn't admit it to her, but when he masterbated in her absence, he was near hyperventalation. She'd been holding off on him, he knew that it pertained to his health, he was all for that, but he was not going to pass when she gave him the green light to finally do something. This may not be sex-sex, if it was, he'd probably die.

He thrusted, small, barely any movement. But with the warmness of being in between Claire's thighs, and the way the material of her panties felt against the top side of his cock, it was almost the same. And he was already short breath as jolts of pleassure went through him. She was feeling it, almost as much as she wished she didn't. She was tired, but Tony's cock didn't seem to be, even though the man it was attached to was gasping breathlessly. She could feel his cock through her underwear, she was sensitive between her legs, and he seemed to rubbing all the right places. Claire was getting wet as he trust in between her thighs, setting all the right part tingling with pleasure.

She was gasping along with him, their breaths hot and heavy. Claire couldn't help but push back on him, adding more movement, creating more fricktion, adding to the pleasure factor. "Tony," she gasped, her eyes no longer closed as she reached behind her, scrambling for his hand. When she finally found it, she pulled his arm over her hip and pushed his hand down the front of her panties. Tony didn't need at encouragment as he worked her clit with his finger intangle with her. She was moaning, not so tired anymore, as her free hand worked her tits; squeezing them, pinching her nipples, twisting them in her pleasure.

"Claire," he weezed, gasped, moaned, into the of her neck. When he said that she didn't have to do anything, he'd meant it, but this was better and he knew, just knew that there was no way that Claire would able to resist; he was a DiNozzo after all.

"Tony... H-harder." she gasped at him.

"I'm... trying..." he told her, more breath than anything else. He was still hard, so hard it was painful, he was there yet and he knew that she deffinetly wasn't either, but he was getting tired by the breath, his leg muscles already trembling.

Claire froze at that, still everything, even his spastic movements. "Are you okay, Tony?" she panted, twiting her shoulders and looking back at him through the darkness.

"Don't stop," he told her.

And she didn't. Now it was Tony's turn not to do anything, because Claire had this. She humped the air, fucking his cock between her thighs, her thigh muscles working with the pleassure that they both recieved, while she made his fingers move against her sensitive and wet clit with her fingers, and was near to ripping her tit off as she didn't even try to be quiet, and Tony was grunting and gaspong hard behind her.

"Don't stop... don' stop!" he told her, he was so close.

Claire knew this, could tell, she always could. That was why she shoved back against him as far as she could, making it so that the head of his leaking cock peeked out from between her thighs. She tightened them around his cock as she finally released her breath in favor of scraping the tip of her nail across the slit in the head of his cock.

Tony screamed out in suprise, calling her name, letting out a curse as his body spasmed behind her, against her, and between her legs as he came, his fingers clutched as a reaction as well, and he pinched her clit between his fingers, hard. And she came, jerking along with his cock between her thighs. It was a long six minutes before they were able to get over the orgasm and breath, both covered in sweat from excertion. And that was when Claire realized she felt it, Tony's come, on the outside of her underwear, as well as the comforter that was draped over them.

"Tony?" she panted.

"Hm." he groaned faintly into the back of her sweaty neck.

"You're not wearing a condom."

"I'm not?" he said, very much tired now, too tired to even want to take his hand from her panties and out of her wet heat.

"No. You just came all over me."

"That's nice," he mumbled.

"No. It's not.

"Mm."

"Why weren't you wearing a condom?" she asked him.

"Why weren't _you_ wearing a condom?" he asked her; okay, so he was dizzy and light headed, felt like he did went he climbed the stairs his first day out of the hospital.

"Tony..." Claire sighed. She nudged him in the ribs with her elbow, he grunted in return, but complied with her request and pulled himself from between her thighs and rolled onto his back. He was no help either, she could hear his breath and was sure that he had already dozed off. She rolled her pulled the blanket off of them, no way was she sleeping with that, especially when it dried and became gross. He grunted reletively awake as his hot skin met cool air. The outside of her panties were covered in come, while the inside was damp with her own. She was careful to take them off, and threw them on the floor along with the blanket.

She rolled around until she was facing Tony, them both now naked, and spooned up against him for warmth. She was going to kill him for not wearing a condom. But not right now, later, deffinetly later.

_tbc!_

_I hope you enjoyed this thus far, I hope to continue this after I get a copy of NCIS season 3 and when I get a chance at the internet again. I also have another fic brewing; DAMSELFLY._


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